The Coward and the Mudblood
by Team Damon
Summary: The war is over, and students are helping to rebuild Hogwarts - including a certain former Death Eater, and in between her nightmares, Ron, and Draco's general obnoxiousness and constant presence, Hermione's world slowly turns upside down. Sequel to Break the Spell, but can be read on its own. Rated M for scenes of torture and adult themes
1. Prologue

_On the ground I lay  
Motionless in pain  
I can see my life flashing before my eyes  
Did I fall asleep?  
Is this all a dream  
Wake me up _

_I'm living a nightmare  
_

Everything was dark, and she knew only pain.

Hermione was losing her sense of reality with every new blast of pain that filled every inch of her being and burned her nerves like torches. Her voice was fading more with every scream, but she couldn't control the wild, desperate shrieks that were tearing out of her raw, bone-dry throat. Her eyes were clouded and when they were opened, they saw only blurs of the crazed, sadistic witch who was screaming an inch from her face.

"What else did you take from my vault?"

Hermione cried harder during a brief respite from the pain, allowed by Bellatrix only so she could speak. She had given Bellatrix the same answer five times now. She shook her head violently from side to side, trapped by the weight of the older witch, hoping for a miracle, hoping for this to end and to be saved, but her cursedly logical mind kept reminding her that it wasn't likely.

Another scream from Bellatrix, and another wave of excruciating pain. Hermione's shrill shrieking filled the air, and when the pain finally subsided, her head lolled to the right and she fixed her almost unseeing eyes on those of the blonde boy who was watching her.

His lip was quivering, and he looked as if he was going to vomit. His terrified silver eyes locked with her blurry brown ones, and though she knew he couldn't hear her, inside of her mind she screamed for him to help her.

_Please, Draco... please..._

He had risked his life once before to save her, in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. She had been about to be mauled by a vicious but untransformed werewolf, and he had hexed him off of her at great risk to himself. Now, in a different sort of danger, she begged and pleaded silently for him to act, to do something, anything...

But he didn't. He stood there, flanked by his parents, and stared in horror, as Bellatrix sent another bout of pain through her body. Hermione kept her eyes on his throughout the pain, opening her mouth to scream, but this time, nothing came out.

Then the pain was gone, but a new kind replaced it. Bellatrix's short silver knife was slicing through her right arm, and Hermione recovered her lost voice to let out a blood-curdling scream. Draco gasped at the sound, though the sound was masked by the screams, and his face twisted in even more horror, but he still did nothing.

Then Bellatrix's weight was gone at last, and Hermione lay sprawled out on the floor, bleeding, only half-conscious, staring at the ceiling as her arm burned as if on fire and bled heavily. Darkness was creeping up on her, warm and inviting, offering to take her away from the torture that she had just endured, to take her away from everything, but she fought it with everything that she had left inside of her. Her breathing was shallow and her heartbeat was irregular and dangerously rapid, but she held on, fighting the forces that were trying to close her eyes and plummet her world into the black. She turned her head to the side once more, and stared again at the boy she once loved.

He was still there, still frozen, and still looking at her with terror etched in his features. Very distantly, she could recall their brief affair that took place the year prior, and how he had turned her world upside down. She had tried to help him, tried to convince him to seek help and protection from the Order of the Phoenix, and even kept his secret for six weeks that he was a Death Eater whose mission it was to assassinate Albus Dumbledore. He had repaid her by saving her life that night under the Astronomy Tower, after he failed to carry out his orders to kill Dumbledore, and they hadn't spoken or seen each other until now.

Now, hatred began to replace the pain and haze that Hermione had been drowning under. She felt nothing but disgust for the boy who had just watched her be nearly tortured into insanity without lifting a finger, who was still staring at her with that stupid cowardly look on his face.

_Coward_, he was nothing but a coward. Nothing but a pathetic boy who she now felt ashamed to have ever touched or kissed. She shed a single tear that dripped down from her cheek, and it was the only outward expression of her hatred that she had the strength to muster.

_I hate you_, Hermione screamed inside her mind, as she had when she had been silently pleading for Draco to help her. _I hate you_!

How could he just watch? How could he do nothing?

He was a monster, she decided, a monster just like all the rest of them, or maybe even worse. He knew what was right and what was wrong, and he _could_ love, unlike Voldemort, yet he chose to act as if he could do neither. He chose to just stand there and watch the girl he used to hold and protect being tortured and sliced within an inch of her life. He chose to be a coward.

He chose to earn Hermione's hatred. She resolved in that moment that she would never, ever, as long as there was breath in her lungs, forgive Draco Malfoy.


	2. Chapter 1

_Hogwarts, post war_

It was a hot day in July that Hermione joined the staff of Hogwarts outside of the castle to greet the onslaught of people arriving today. The war was over and that meant reconstruction was beginning on the castle, and today was the day that everyone who had volunteered to help with the rebuilding efforts would be arriving.

The new headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, had ironed out a plan that involved singling out the areas that needed rebuilding or reorganization and assigning one person to overlook each area, and from there she would assign a number of the volunteers who were arriving today to assist them. Hermione and Harry, who had stayed at Hogwarts since the war ended to help the teachers, were already assigned the library and Quidditch field, respectively. For the areas that had suffered structural damage – and there were many – a team of wizarding architects and builders were arriving as well.

The days following the war had been intense, full of grief and yet also joy. The Weasleys had returned to the Burrow rather quickly, mostly for Molly's sake. She didn't want to be in the same building where one of her sons was murdered, and nobody could blame her. Ron and Ginny left to stay with her, as did all of her children, and Harry and Hermione assured them both that they agreed home was where they needed to be. Most of the other students left for home as well, except for Neville and Luna, but many were returning today.

The Ministry underwent an intense shakeup following Lord Voldemort's demise. Most of its employees were either carted off to Azkaban or were awaiting trial, and Kingsley Shacklebolt was now Minister of Magic. Arthur Weasley received a much-deserved promotion and was now Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Dementors were no longer aligned with the Ministry, and Aurors were dispatched in full force to find remaining Death Eaters who had slithered into hiding after their master's downfall.

The most high profile case was, of course, the Malfoys. Lucius had been sent to Askaban despite his professed change of heart - nobody in the Ministry believed him since, after all, he had claimed innocence after the first Wizarding War with disasterous results - but his wife and son were free, thanks in large part to Harry.

Harry had spent a good three straight days holed up in Hogwarts with the head of the Auror office, giving him all the information he knew about various Death Eaters as well as those who were on the Order's side. He vindicated Severus Snape, but would only show the Auror chief Snape's memories once and refused to hand them over to the Ministry, knowing how the former headmaster would be infuriated beyond words if his private memories were to become fully public after his death. And as for the Malfoys, Harry made sure that Narcissa was recognized for her crucial role in Voldemort's downfall, even if she did lie about Harry being dead for selfish reasons. As for Draco, Harry's feelings were mixed, but he had no desire to condemn him to Azkaban. When the Malfoys had sat uncomfortably in the Great Hall, Draco had borne the look of one who had truly experienced some change, and was disgusted with himself. Lucius, on the other hand, looked the same as he always had.

The world was beginning to make sense again, but the air at Hogwarts was still somber. So many had died in that final, terrible battle, and those who lived tried to stay as close together as possible, either physically or by owl, and many of the students signed up to help restore Hogwarts if for nothing else than to keep themselves busy and be with friends.

Harry and Hermione were excited to be reunited with Ginny and Ron today, but they were not aware of the entire list of volunteers who were arriving via the Hogwarts Express. Hagrid, out of tradition, was greeting them and bringing them to the castle, where afterwards there would be a grand, old fashioned feast in the mostly still standing Great Hall.

"Here they come," said the more cheerful than usual Professor McGonagall, when Hagrid's large figure appeared in the distance. Harry grinned at Hermione, who smiled back and glanced at Neville and Luna, who stood to their right and were clasping hands.

Hermione couldn't wait to be reunited with Ron. They had barely a day together after the final battle, and though they owled one another daily, she couldn't wait to finally be a proper couple.

As the crowd grew closer, Hermione began to be able to recognize some of the heads bobbing as they walked. He saw two heads of flaming red hair belonging to Ginny and Ron. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan were visible as well, and were talking with Cho Chang. Some of the students were accompanied by parents, including... no, Hermione thought quickly, that's not possible. But she squinted her eyes and looked harder, and sure enough, she saw two heads of white-blonde hair that were unmistakably those of Draco and Narcissa Malfoy.

"Harry," Hermione said quietly with poorly masked alarm, "tell me that's not Draco and his mother."

Harry craned his neck and squinted as she had. "No, that's definitely them," he confirmed.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Hermione moaned a little too loudly.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked, peering past Neville and Harry to look at Hermione with her wide, perpetually surprised-looking eyes.

Hermione shook her head, quickly remembering that nobody else but Harry would understand why Malfoy's presence would bother her so. He was the only person she had ever told of her brief relationship with Draco during her sixth year, and she planned to keep it that way. "Nothing,sorry."

Soon the crowd had closed in, and Ron had broke into a run to greet his girlfriend. He picked Hermione up and crushed her with the strength of his hug, and twirled her around in his exuberance. Hermione laughed as he finally put her down, but when she looked up into his brown eyes she caught a glimpse of a pair of silver ones just over his shoulder.

There Draco was, dressed in a fine black suit, his blonde hair casual as it grazed his eyes, and he was staring directly at Hermione.

Hermione felt a shiver ripple through her body, and her stomach flip flopped just as it used to a little over a year ago when he would look at her. But then Ron's lips were on hers, and he was kissing her with all the intensity of a teenaged boy who hadn't seen his girlfriend in a month.

"I've missed you," Ron smiled when he pulled away, and she returned the smile, but cast one quick glance over his shoulder again, and saw Draco scowling deeply.

Soon she was being greeted by many of her former classmates, and the sound of excited chatting was heard everywhere. She glanced at Harry, who was clutching Ginny's hand and was staring poker-faced at Pansy Parkinson, who appeared to be in the midst of an apology to him.

"... it was terrible and I have no excuses, but I've lost everything... both of my parents are in Azkaban and I just want to start over, and I need you to understand how sorry I am..."

Ginny shot Hermione a look and Hermione grinned, then turned her attention to Dean and Seamus, who both gave her warm hugs. For a moment she almost forgot about Draco's presence, until she glanced at the headmistress and saw her apparently deep in conversation with him and Narcissa.

Hermione frowned, and Ron, who had rejoined her side, noticed this. "Can you believe it?" he asked quietly. "I don't know what he's playing at, showing up here. I couldn't believe it when I saw him on the train. D'you think McGonagall's gonna toss him out?"

The headmistress's rather severe face was firm as she spoke to the Malfoys, but not unkind. "It doesn't look like it," Hermione said sadly.

"Well, let's not let him muck up the day," Ron grinned, taking Hermione's hand. "This past month has felt like a year, being away from you."

She smiled and leaned her head on his upper arm. "I've missed you too."

Then the Malfoys both nodded at the headmistress, and parted ways with her. Draco shot Ron a loathsome look as he and his mother passed. Ron didn't notice, however, as his attention was now on McGonagall, who began to speak to the crowd.

"Quiet, please - quiet!" she called. "Please, everyone follow me into the Great Hall!"

The crowd obliged and began walking, Harry and Ginny falling into step next to Ron and Hermione. Ginny extended a one-arm walking hug to Hermione, who reciprocated with a giggle. "Hey, what was that business with Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione asked.

Ginny shrugged. "She was apologizing to Harry. Seemed sincere, but who really knows? It's not like she's gonna walk in here and say 'Hi Harry, really wish you were dead!'"

Hermione frowned and cast a glance behind her. Pansy was walking with Blaise Zabini at the back of the crowd, neither of them seeming particularly comfortable, and everybody was giving them a wide berth as if they'd catch germs if they got too close to them.

The idealist in Hermione disapproved of this. Clearly, it took a lot of courage for the two Slytherins to return to Hogwarts to help repair some of the damage the man they had supported inflicted. She couldn't imagine them being here if they weren't sincere - for them, it had to feel like being a single rat in a pit full of snakes.

However, Hermione did not extend this thought to Draco. She was a little more fair to Narcissa, who played a key role in the final battle. But Draco was nothing more than a slimy opportunistic git who was only here to make it seem like he cared about paying his debt to society, when really, all he cared about was being accepted by society once more so he could live out the rest of his life comfortably. She had no doubts of this, and would not entertain any other ideas of his motivation. Anyone who did simply didn't know him as well as she did.

For the briefest moment, Hermione thought of the scar on her right forearm, but the sight of the Great Hall shook her of any dark thoughts.

It was damaged, but functional. The famous bewitched ceiling was just a regular ceiling now, until it could be fully repaired. The corridor leading out of the Hall and into the rest of the castle was in shambles, as was so much more of Hogwarts, but Hermione pushed those thoughts aside as she took in the strange sight of only one enormous table siting in the Hall underneath the mass of floating candles, as opposed to the usual four house tables plus the staff table.

The headmistress rushed to the winged podium at the end of the Hall. "A quick word before we begin our feast," she called, and the crowd came to a hush. "As you can see, tonight we shall all be dining at the same table. This is due to my belief that unity between all of us is now more crucial than ever. The war is over. Let us leave it in the past, where it belongs, and move forward. House rivalries, or personal grudges, should be left at the door. If any one of you finds yourself unable to do this, I suggest you leave at once."

Hermione looked down at her feet. Well, her situation was different, of course, she reasoned. After all, both of the Malfoys who were present had watched her nearly being tortured to death and did nothing. That constituted a bit more than a "personal grudge".

"We must forgive, or we will doom ourselves to more division. And division, I fear, will only doom us to the possibility of another war." McGonagall paused. "I thank each and every one of you for being here. You have all made your houses and families, and Hogwarts itself, proud."

And the headmistress finished her speech, with the smallest of smiles. Food began to pop up all throughout the gigantic table, but everyone stood idle for a moment, unsure of where to sit, or how to handle this new forced unity. It was Luna who moved first, dragging Neville with her as she took a seat in front of a large baked ham. She wore an airy smile all the while, and after she sat, she gazed at the rest of the crowd expectantly. "Is no one hungry?"

Then McGonagall sat at the head of the table, and the rest of the staff quickly sat down close to her. Harry took a seat next, not far from where the staff did, and slowly the table started to fill.

Hermione was sandwiched between Ginny and Ron, and watched as once again, Pansy and Blaise were treated like pariahs. The two Slytherins were seated at the opposite end as the staff, and the seats around them were empty. The Malfoys had insinuated themselves closer to the rest of everyone, but nobody seemed to be complaining about _them_.

"Oh, for God's sake," Hermione muttered. "Ron, tell Dean and Seamus to move down two seats."

Ron looked puzzled but didn't argue. Then Hermione stood and walked to where Blaise and Pansy sat. When she approached, they looked up at her warily. "Come sit with us, at the front," she all but commanded, and then turned on her heel before they could argue.

Halfway back to her seat, Hermione glanced back and saw that they were following her, but they seemed highly unsure if this was a good idea. Nonetheless, they took their new seats between Ron and Dean, and an uncomfortable silence fell immediately. Hermione allowed a few moments to pass of sideways glances and awkward eating before she slammed down her cup of pumpkin juice loudly.

"Was nobody listening to what Professor McGonagall said?" Hermione asked the table, and all fell silent but her. "These people have come here despite knowing how this was how they'd be treated. It seems rather obvious to me that that means they're sincere."

"You weren't here last year, Hermione," piped up Cho Chang from across the table. "You didn't see what they did to us. They were cruel."

"The Carrows made us do those things," Blaise said, speaking for the first time. "We didn't have a choice."

"You had a choice," Neville interjected. "You just chose wrong."

"Maybe we did," Pansy said, her voice shaking just a little bit. "But we hated every minute of it, and we just want to start over. We want to make it right."

Hermione glanced around the table. Her fellow Gryffindors were wearing reluctantly guilty and yet still slightly defiant expressions and staring down at their plates. She looked past Ron to Blaise and Pansy, the latter of which gave her a subtly grateful look. Hermione nodded.

"After all, it's not as if they let Death Eaters into the castle and tried to kill Dumbledore."

The room became deadly silent, and with a jolt of horror, Hermione realized that what she had meant to murmur under her breath, she had actually said rather loudly. Her cheeks were flushing the color of tomatoes, and she looked around with wide eyes.

Everyone was staring at her, shocked by her words. Harry's face was unreadable. McGonagall looked a bit nervous and disappointed at the same time. Ron was shoving a sausage into his mouth and nearly choking on it. Blaise and Pansy were stiff and looking at their hands. Narcissa was as calm and controlled as ever. Draco, however, became flushed with anger. He made a motion to storm from the table but Narcissa grabbed him by his arm and forced him to sit still.

Hermione grabbed her pumpkin juice and chugged it nervously, and Luna's voice broke the silence at last. "Isn't the pudding lovely?"

Hermione chanced one more glance at Draco, and a wave of guilt washed over her as she watched the boy stare angrily at his plate. Then she caught herself - what was there to feel guilty about? What she said was true, wasn't it? Who cared that she had been a witness to Draco's misery and fear during their sixth year and had firsthand knowledge of how he had felt forced to do as Voldemort had ordered - he was vile and she had much worse she could say about him.

Ron elbowed her. "We were all thinking it," he murmured in her ear. "Don't worry about it."

Hermione sighed and endured the rest of the dinner in silence. When it was over, sleeping arrangements were discussed. Since Ravenclaw Tower was in shambles, Ravenclaw students would be spread amongst Gryffindor Tower and Hufflepuff's basement. Draco, Pansy, and Blaise would take to the Slytherin dungeons. Parents had the choice of sleeping in the castle or taking rooms in Hogsmeade; all of them chose the latter option.

After the parents bid farewell to their children, Hermione fetched Ginny, Luna, and Padma Patil, and the four girls headed to the girls' dorms in Gryffindor tower. They chatted amongst themselves until they rounded a corner and Draco nearly ran into them, having been headed in the opposite direction to the dungeons.

All five pairs of feet skidded to a halt, and Hermione's eyes instantly narrowed on Draco. He did the same towards her for a moment, but then Luna's voice got his attention.

"Hello, Draco," said Luna pleasantly. Draco looked at her in surprise, as did the three other girls. Draco nodded at the strange little blonde girl, then dashed off.

Luna looked around at the three incredulous looks she was being given, and said, "He owled me a few weeks ago. It was a very nice letter. He apologized for his family holding me in their cellar, and for how poorly I was treated. It was rather unexpected."

"I'd say so," Ginny remarked. "Must be the first time in his life the git's ever apologized to anyone."

"As if he was sincere," Hermione scoffed as the girls continued walking. "He's a Malfoy, he wouldn't do anything that didn't serve his own selfish interests."

"No, he was definitely sincere," Luna disagreed in her unyieldingly polite voice. "I would let you read the letter but it's at home. Anyway, it must have taken him and his mum a lot of courage to come here to help us rebuild."

Hermione frowned. "He doesn't care about the castle, Luna. He wouldn't be here if he didn't have anything to gain."

"Can't say I disagree, Hermione," said Ginny, "but after this and that outburst at dinner, I'm a bit surprised how much you seem to despise him. Even if it is Malfoy we're talking about."

"Yeah, especially after you scolded us all about unity," Padma added.

"Look," Hermione said, feeling a blush creep up on her cheeks, "Malfoy's different."

"I suppose it's understandable that you would feel that way," Luna said.

"What do you mean?" snapped Hermione.

Luna turned her large, gray eyes to Hermione and smiled. "Well, he did watch you get tortured, and he didn't do anything to stop it. Has he apologized to you yet?"

Hermione opened her mouth but nothing came out. She had never told Luna about the torture at Bellatrix's hand, nor the fact that Draco had watched without so much as lifting a finger - so how did she know? Perhaps she had overheard the story while at Shell Cottage with Hermione after they escaped Malfoy Manor, but still, Hermione hadn't told a soul other than Harry about how Draco stood there and watched the whole time. She reminded Hermione of Dumbledore; they both had an uncanny and unsettling habit of seeming to just know everything. "No - no, he's never apologized," she finally muttered.

"Well, I'm sure he will," Luna replied as the girls climbed up the long staircases that led to their destination. A few moments passed, and Ginny shot Hermione a curious look that Hermione ignored.

Soon the girls reached their dorm and settled in a bit, then went to their common room. The boys soon arrived, and Hermione was happy to be back in a full, chattering common room full of her friends. She sat close to Ron on a sofa, while Harry and Ginny did the same across from them. Neville and Luna were sitting in front of the fireplace, discussing various rare plants and magical creatures. Cho Chang, another Ravenclaw who had opted to stay in Gryffindor Tower but in the dorm under Hermione's with several of her own friends, was playing a game of Exploding Snap with Padma, Dean and Seamus; Hermione noticed that Cho was sitting rather closely with Dean.

For a night, everything seemed to be alright again, and Hermione could almost pretend that the war had ended without any of its accompanying deaths and horrors, and that those they had lost were simply at home, not gone forever.

After most everyone had dragged themselves off to bed, Hermione kissed Ron goodnight, and went to bed herself. She felt better seeing the beds surrounding hers full; Luna's presence had been a comfort to her for the past month, and she had been grateful that she didn't have to sleep alone. One night, however, Luna had stayed up late and was wandering about, sleepwalking who knows where, and Hermione had woken up from a nightmare alone and terrified. She had crawled into the boys' dorm and slept next to Harry the rest of the night, and Neville had awoken the next morning looking rather alarmed at the sight. Harry and Hermione had a good laugh about that, but Hermione made sure she never fell asleep alone after that night. And Luna had curiously always been in bed before her from then on.

Hermione settled into bed feeling more relaxed than she had felt in recent memory, but Ginny's voice got her attention just as she closed her eyes.

"Do you have nightmares?" Ginny asked quietly from the bed closest to Hermione.

Hermione turned to face her friend and nodded. "They're worse when I'm alone."

"Same for me," Ginny said. "They're always about Fred. And Harry. Reliving when I thought he was dead."

"Fred's in mine too sometimes," Hermione whispered. "Usually though, they're about... Bellatrix. And Malfoy Manor."

Ginny nodded. "Sometimes I'll dream that we all wake up and he's back. Voldemort. And it all starts again."

Hermione paused. "Have you tried sleeping potion?"

"Yeah, the first few nights. But then I started having side effects. That stuff isn't meant to be taken long-term, that's for sure."

"I haven't taken any yet. It's going to sound stupid, but I want to overcome the nightmares on my own," Hermione admitted.

"I don't think it's stupid. Maybe now we can help each other get past it all," Ginny said hopefully.

Hermione nodded. A moment of silence fell before she spoke again. "I've been trying to find my parents."

Ginny's eyes widened in the darkness. "Have you had any luck?"

Hermione shook her head. "I gave them the most common names I could think of when I changed their memories, to make them impossible for him to find. I did too good of a job though, because now I can't find one sliver of information about them."

"I'll help you, if there's any way that I can," said Ginny. "Maybe after we're done here at Hogwarts, we can go to Australia and look for them. Or take some time off to do it. I'm sure Harry and Ron would come with us too."

Hermione smiled at her friend. "Thanks. That means a lot to me."

Then there was another moment of silence, and a muffled but light voice floated through the room. "... Don't anger them, Crumple-Horned Snorkacks have terrible tempers..."

Hermione giggled at Ginny's alarmed look. "She talks in her sleep a lot. Usually about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks or wrackspurts. Sometimes Neville gets a mention too."

Ginny laughed, and it was with light hearts that the two girls eventually drifted to sleep. They had wanted to spend the whole night talking, and evading any possible nightmares, but they needed their rest. There was much work to begin tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: you guys are the best! Thanks for the reviews/alerts/favorites! I do apologize for part of this chapter, I'd rather pluck my eyes out than write Ron/Hermione but it's a brief necessary evil for this story. I promise, it will all be worth the slower buildup to Dramione :D**** Oh, and I was going to go back and edit this in, but I forgot, so, in this story Madam Pince is supposed to be dead lol, because if she were around I'd imagine she would be in charge of the library, not Hermione. Just in case anyone thought of that and was wondering, lol. :)**

Breakfast the next morning was a little less awkward than the previous night's dinner was. Nobody talked to Blaise or Pansy, but nobody shot them dirty looks either. Hermione sat between Ginny and Ron again, but was rather annoyed by the Malfoys' new position of being across the table to her right, between Luna and another Ravenclaw student, making it much harder for her to pretend that Draco didn't exist.

After breakfast, Hermione and Harry followed Professor McGonagall to her office, where she would be giving them and the rest of those in charge of reconstruction their lists of volunteers. It was strange, entering the headmistress's office and knowing Dumbledore wouldn't be sitting behind his desk, smiling and offering a lemon drop or suggesting caution with a cockroach cluster. Instead, Dumbledore was sitting quietly in his portrait, eyes twinkling as they entered, and Hermione found his presence, even if just inside a frame, comforting.

Less comforting was Severus Snape's portrait, who scowled at them and anyone else who ever entered the office and gawked at him. Hermione thought he should be a bit more cheerful, after all, since Harry had successfully lobbied to have Snape's body laid to rest in Godric's Hollow. Harry never forgot Dumbledore's words - "sometimes I think we sort too soon" - and since Snape had embodied all of Godric Gryffindor's most valued qualities, and had served his life as a spy for Dumbledore to honor Lily and her memory, Harry wouldn't accept him being buried anywhere else.

A piece of parchment was shoved suddenly into Hermione's hand, and she returned to the present. She looked down at the list of volunteers that would be assisting her and read quickly through the names.

Dean Thomas, yes he would do... Cho Chang as well would work, she was intelligent and knew her way around books, and her mother had a job conducting research at the Ministry of Magic, which might come in handy as the main obstacle to repairing the library was replenishing the book supply, and she may have access to quite a few... a few fourth year students she didn't know very well... and Narcissa Malfoy.

Hermione's mind went blank, and she reread the last name. She looked up at the headmistress then back down to the parchment in her hands.

"Is there a problem, Miss Granger?" asked McGonagall.

"I - er - well, yes!"

McGonagall raised her eyebrows, indicating for her to elaborate.

"Why is Narcissa Malfoy on this list?"

"Mrs. Malfoy is owner of the most exhaustive and legendary library this side of the wizarding world, Miss Granger. The library at Malfoy Manor was second only to ours. She can help you more than all of the others on that list combined," McGonagall explained.

Hermione opened and closed her mouth several times, wanting to flippantly suggest putting Narcissa in charge of the library's reconstruction then instead of her, but choosing ultimately to keep her mouth shut. McGonagall then turned her attention to Professors Flitwick and Sprout, who were overseeing Ravenclaw Tower and the greenhouses and grounds, respectively, when Harry nudged Hermione and showed her his list of those helping him with the Quidditch field, muttering, "It could be worse."

Hermione looked over the names. Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnegan... and Draco Malfoy.

Hermione almost felt sorry for Draco for a moment, being tossed into a pit of Gryffindors (and two Weasleys), but she quickly amended her sympathy to apply to her friends and not the git. "Sorry," she muttered to her friend.

Soon they left the headmistress's office and headed for the Great Hall, where the volunteers were waiting. Some of them had asked for specific tasks, while others hadn't and were assigned some based on their strengths. They all seemed to be eager to get busy, and followed their head volunteers from the Hall after they had been called. Blaise Zabini was to help Professor Flitwick repair Ravenclaw Tower, along with Luna, several other Ravenclaws. Pansy was assigned the greenhouses and grounds with Professor Sprout and Neville. Hermione watched as a frowning but quiet Draco Malfoy learned he was to spend the majority of his days with Gryffindors whom he had hated most of his life, and she was surprised that he didn't throw a fit and stalk off to Apparate home.

Finally, only Hermione and five people remained. They were an odd group - Dean and Cho fidgeting about as they stood next to the aristocratic and glamorous Narcissa Malfoy, while two male Hufflepuff fourth-years named Chance and Scott stood behind the three, clearly uncomfortable.

"Right, well... you're all with me. We'll be repairing the library. There's not a lot of structural damage, but nearly all the books were destroyed. So we'll be doing an inventory of what survived and what didn't, and replacing everything that was lost."

Narcissa, holding her hands in front of her, looked around at the students who weren't moving, but instead standing awkwardly. She looked to Hermione with masked amusement.

"Right," Hermione sighed. "Let's go then."

And with that, the group of six walked to the vast library, and upon entering, all of them except Hermione and Narcissa groaned.

Shelves were toppled over, desks turned over, and a seemingly infinite number of books were strewn about the room. Errant pages covered the floor, and it seemed none of the books in view were intact.

"I know how it looks," Hermione said. "But if we each take an area to work on, we can do it in a reasonable amount of time."

"Can't we just use a repairing charm on the books?" Cho asked hopefully.

"I've tried that," Hermione said. "On a few it might work, but most of them are beyond repair. So many of them were so old and fragile..."

Hermione's face grew sad with her words, as if she were describing a fallen comrade. "What I want to do is identify each book that's been destroyed and make a list of everything that needs replacing," she said, turning her eyes to Narcissa. "McGonagall said you would be able to gather the new books that we will need."

Narcissa nodded. "Yes. And I am willing to donate from my personal library if need be."

Hermione gave a small nod and looked to the mess before them. "Well, everyone pick an area. There's a stack of parchment on that desk for you to write down your inventory in."

And the work begun. Hermione began sifting through a pile and watched as the others did the same, surprised to see Narcissa roll up her sleeves and dive into a particularly intimidating pile of destroyed books. Absently, Hermione wondered if today was the first day the rich woman had ever truly worked in her life. As far as she knew, Narcissa had never been without the luxuries of riches and house-elves for a day in her life, but she was getting to the bottom of her pile at twice the speed that the others were taking.

It wasn't long before lunchtime arrived, and Hermione sent the volunteers off as she checked their lists. She was considering working through lunch when Narcissa's voice got her attention.

"Could I have a word, Miss Granger?"

Hermione turned and stared at the woman for a moment before nodding. This was odd, working with her and speaking to her - she was the mother of her secret ex-lover and the sister of the woman who had tortured her so brutally half a year ago, and a silent witness to the event.

"I want to apologize," Narcissa said, her hands clasped behind her back and her voice steady. "for what my... deranged sister did to you. You suffered a terrible ordeal in my house, and I am very ashamed of it. As well as many other things that my husband and I permitted to happen there. I have no shortage of things to be ashamed of."

Whatever Hermione had been expecting, it wasn't this. She didn't know what to say, so she stayed silent.

"You should also know," Narcissa added, " Draco was very disturbed and upset by what happened as well. I heard him crying several times about it. He doesn't know that I know it, but it affected him very badly."

"Not badly enough to stop it when it was happening," Hermione said with a trace of bitterness.

Narcissa paused for a moment, her eyes growing sad before she spoke. "If it helps, I can tell you that we have scars from the Dark Lord's punishment after you escaped. Draco worse than me."

Hermione winced. She imagined what must have happened after Dobby had rescued them, how furious Voldemort must have been and how brutally he must have punished them for letting Harry escape. The thought of Draco feeling as she had when Bellatrix had been torturing her was almost enough to break through her very carefully maintained hatred of the boy. Nobody deserved to feel such pain

"But," Narcissa said, "We all have our scars from the war, I suppose." She glanced at Hermione's right arm and added, "I can teach you a few charms that will cover it up. So you don't have to wear long sleeves all summer."

"Oh - no, I know how to cover it up," Hermione said, referring to the scar of the word _mudblood_ that Bellatrix had carved into her right arm at the end of the torturing session. "Honestly, I wouldn't hide it, but not everyone knows if it's true that I have it, and I'd rather not have to relive it all every time someone notices."

"Quite understandable," Narcissa replied. "Thank you for allowing me to apologize properly. I know it doesn't change what happened, but... nevertheless."

Narcissa then turned to leave, and Hermione quickly said, "I'm sorry for what I said last night. At dinner. It just kind of... came out."

Narcissa stopped and half-turned back to the younger girl. "It's quite alright. It was one of the kinder things that have been said about my son in the last few weeks." She then turned back around and left.

Hermione stood for a minute, looking around the mess that surrounded her feet, wondering of that conversation had really just happened.

* * *

Lunch was uneventful and quick for Hermione. Everyone was falling into a routine for meals, and beginning to sit at the same seats. Blaise and Pansy were still not talking to anyone but each other, but Luna , who sat next to the Malfoys, began to strike up chats with Draco and Narcissa. Draco was the only one of the Quidditch group who showed up for lunch, which was disappointing, but gave her all the more reason to not linger and get back to work.

The rest of the day flew by in a haze of parchment, quills, and dust. Each book that couldn't be repaired brought Hermione more sadness, and the older the book, the worse it was. So much history had been destroyed, and quite a few books Hermione doubted had other copies available anywhere. The restricted section, which had been blown to bits and burned, especially had rare books that she feared were irreplaceable. She got more and more discouraged as the day went on, and barely noticed how loudly her stomach was growling until Cho and Dean told her they were leaving for dinner.

Hermione was gathering the lists that the volunteers had compiled when she heard a drawling, painfully familiar voice come from behind her.

"Mum? Are you done here yet?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned around, trying to ignore the way her heart was speeding up at the sound of Draco's voice, but she instantly wished she had stayed put.

Narcissa's answer was drowned out as Hermione took in the rather glorious sight that Draco was providing; he wore black trousers and a silk button-down black shirt that he wore open over a rather well-fitted white t-shirt . His blonde hair was wet and hanging over his eyes, and he had the look, Hermione thought absently, of a character from a Muggle soap opera who had been written into the story to seduce a woman whilst repairing various things around her house. Or perhaps a poolboy... no, definitely handyman, but a wealthy one, since he looked as if he had spent the day swinging a hammer in sweltering heat, but in expensive designer clothing...

Then Draco turned his head and he eyes locked with hers, and she realized with horror that she was staring. She blinked furiously and acted as if she were suddenly engrossed in the book lists in her hands, knowing her face was betraying her, as it always did, and was turning a furious scarlet. She turned away from the two Malfoys and closed her eyes tightly, cursing very loudly inside her head.

She didn't see the satisfied smirk on Draco's face, nor did she hear him creep up behind her until he had spoken. "Hello, Granger."

Hermione sighed and turned around, arms folded across her chest, and the most annoyed expression she could muster on her face. "Malfoy."

It was the first time they had spoken since Hermione had owled Draco the day after Dumbledore's assassination to make sure he was alive after failing to carry out Voldemort's orders. Looking directly in his silver eyes brought back a flood of memories, including one that involved them sneaking into a Hogwarts broom cupboard and spending five minutes snogging each other senseless between classes, but the most dominant memory was still of staring into his terrified face as his aunt tortured her.

"How are you?" Draco asked conversationally.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Fine."

"I was wondering if we could talk sometime."

"We're talking now," Hermione snapped.

"You know what I mean," Draco replied quietly.

He was really standing too closely, and Hermione's head was starting to drift off to Muggle soaps again. "I really don't have anything to say to you."

Draco shrugged. "Well, maybe not, but I have plenty I want to say to you."

Hermione stared at her former lover, trying for the first time to focus on purpose on her memory of being tortured, and of why she hated Draco so badly, and why he deserved nothing but her contempt.

"Draco, come."

Narcissa's voice saved Hermione from having to give Draco an answer. He gave her one last look that carried a shadow of one of his signature smirks before following his mother out of the library, and Hermione blinked.

She truly hated the boy, that much she knew for sure. So she really didn't understand why butterflies had erupted in her stomach and why she had broken into a sweat the second he had entered the library. And she couldn't even begin to fathom why her mind was racing a mile a minute just thinking about having the private talk with him that he had requested.

Her mind was quick to rebuke her wayward feelings, and she quickly chalked them up to the lack of closure from their relationship. When it ended was when everything had gone to hell, and she never had time to sit and figure it out really, or even properly share the experience with anyone. Harry knew about it, but after it ended she rarely spoke to him of it. Yes, that must be it - it was all a mess of hidden feelings and lack of closure.

As she walked to the Great Hall, she focused her thoughts on Ron and smiled. She hadn't seen him since breakfast, and she couldn't wait to see him again. He was everything Draco wasn't - loyal, sweet, thoughtful, good. A tiny, unwelcome voice deep in her mind reminded her that Draco had been all of those things once before as well, not the least of which was when he had saved her from a psychotic werewolf. She immediately banished the voice, and thought about the red-headed boy who was crazy about her, and who deserved her, unlike the ferret who was slithering his way back into her thoughts.

* * *

At dinner, Hermione chatted with Ron about his day and gave him a peck on his lips when no one was looking, then turned to Ginny.

"So," Hermione whispered, "what was Malfoy like today? Was he horrible?"

"Surprisingly, no," Ginny replied, also whispering. "Believe it or not, first thing he did was thank Harry for saving his life during the war and keeping him out of Azkaban."

Hermione's eyes grew as wide as Luna's. "You can't be serious."

"Dead serious," said Ginny. "It was a very awkward moment, though, and they were both very stiff about the whole thing. Malfoy seemed embarrassed. Of course, they're never going to like each other, but they managed to get through the day without hexing one another once and I never thought I'd see the day."

Hermione stared at her friend, mouth open still. Harry, having translated their whispers, peered past Ginny and said to Hermione, "Weirdest moment of my life. And that's saying something."

Hermione chuckled and glanced down the table at Draco, who was watching her intently, much to her dismay. He lifted his goblet to her and smirked. She scowled and turned back to Ginny. "He's acting strange all-around today."

"Well, the strangest thing is how he treated Ron all day," Ginny whispered. "He was fine to me and Seamus, mostly just kept quiet and out of our way, but when he looks at Ron it's scary. He looks at him like he killed his dog or stole his girlfriend or something."

Harry choked on his pumpkin juice at this, and Ginny slapped his back. After he stopped coughing and caught his breath, Harry shot Hermione a knowing look, and she had to concentrate on keeping her poker face intact.

Hermione looked to her right at Ron and smiled, and he smiled back at her as he chewed a disgustingly large bite of roasted chicken. She turned back to her plate to keep from losing her appetite, but took Ron's hand under the table.

Feeling a burst of friendliness, Hermione leaned forward and smiled at Pansy and Blaise, who sat between Ron and a line of Hufflepuffs. "Did you two get a good start on your work today?"

Blaise stared at her, but Pansy smiled. "Yes, and you?"

"Oh yes," Hermione answered. "It feels good to be doing something and keeping busy."

Pansy nodded, and from across the table, Luna smiled. "Blaise was very helpful today. I nearly fell down the stairs of Ravenclaw Tower, and he caught me."

Neville glared daggers at Blaise, who now seemed extraordinarily uncomfortable. "It was nothing," Blaise muttered.

"Well, I think it's the new ring Daddy gave me," Luna mused, showing a large, deep purple stone that sat on her finger on a band of what looked like rather prickly twigs. "He said it would bring good luck, and I find it exceptionally lucky that I landed on you instead of a pile of rubble."

Neville's scowl deepened, and Hermione stifled a laugh. Her eyes wandered right, and she saw that Draco was still watching her. Her smile faded and she gave Ron's hand a squeeze.

"Would you like to take a walk after dinner?"

Ron grimaced. "I've spent all day outside..."

"Right," Hermione said quickly. "It's okay, never mind."

"No, I'll go - you've been cooped up in that library all day. I can brave a few more minutes of fresh air."

Hermione smiled and finished her dinner quickly, half to help get her out of the castle faster and half to get out from under Draco's eyes faster.

The sun was lowering in the sky, and a cool breeze took the edge off the lingering heat as Hermione walked along the grounds hand in hand with Ron. Fang was barking off in the distance, and though the signs of the terrible final battle were all around them, a peace was washing over Hogwarts in the warmth of the setting sun, and Hermione felt better than she had in days as she and Ron talked.

"How's your mum?"

"She's alright," Ron said. "She's pulling through. I think Percy being back home is helping. George is the inconsolable one. It's like a part of him died with Fred."

Hermione grimaced. "Well, he and Fred were so inseparable. It's still just so unthinkable."

Ron nodded, looking at his feet as they walked. "I think a part of all of us died with Fred."

Hermione fought the tears that were clouding her eyes, and they fell into silence. Eventually they wound up at the lake, and they sat down in the grass and leaned on one another.

"It's weird, isn't it? After all this time."

"Hmm?" Hermione inquired, looking up at Ron.

"You know," Ron said with a faint blush. "Us. Being together."

She smiled and had to agree. A part of her found being with Ron very weird, but he was everything she needed - familiar, comfortable, and safe. He made her feel like she could be whole again, and after everything she had been through, being with him was like being able to breathe again.

He lifted her chin with a finger and pressed a kiss to her lips, and Hermione returned his affections. She normally wouldn't be one to snog out in the open on the Hogwarts grounds, but the only witnesses today were some chirping songbirds pecking about in the grass in search of a late dinner.

It was the first true snog between them, and Ron's kissing style was much like she had imagined - charming, and sweet, but a little sloppy. It was okay, of course. After all, Ron's only previous kissing practice had been with Lavender Brown, and Hermione only had a bit more experience than he did, what with Viktor Krum and...

Silver eyes swam to the front of her mind and Hermione jerked back with a start. Ron opened his eyes and quickly became confused. "Something wrong?"

"No, no," Hermione lied, "nothing's wrong. Just - just a lot on my mind is all."

"Well," Ron smiled, "that's what snogging's supposed to help with."

She returned his grin. "Sorry."

"S'ok," Ron murmured, bringing his lips to hers once more.

She tried to turn off her mind and lose herself in him, but her brain became busy analyzing her reactions to him and it was maddening. When he touched her, her skin would tingle, and his kisses left her feeling pleasantly happy, and that was all fine and good, but she had once felt something much stronger, and much more consuming, for another boy...

Silver eyes flashed again but she forced herself to keep kissing Ron, not wanting to disappoint him. She inwardly scolded herself for comparing Ron to Draco, because after all, everyone was different, and she couldn't expect the same sensations to occur with Ron that had happened with Draco. Maybe this was the way it was supposed to feel. Maybe she was supposed to feel pleasantly warm as opposed to a raging open fire. Maybe she just needed to give Ron and herself time. Maybe she was being unreasonable to compare them in the first place. Maybe Ron could tell she wasn't into it, because he had pulled away.

Hermione looked up at Ron and opened her mouth to apologize, but he spoke first. "It's alright, really. I understand."

Hermione sighed and lay her head on Ron's shoulder. "Thank you."

It was okay, she reasoned. They'd get there eventually.

***barfs* lol**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks everyone who reviewed/favorited/alerted/or just read, you all make me a very happy sponge LOL**

Hermione went to breakfast the next morning rather flustered and anxious.

Her sleep the night before had been more peaceful than usual until around 2 am, which was when the dream began. She was not in Malfoy Manor as she usually was in her dreams, but instead in some sort of huge, luxurious bedroom with a four poster bed with a canopy and dark sheets, and moonlight trickling in through two huge windows was the only light in the room. Her back was pressed to the wall in front of the bed, and a pair of soft lips were trailing from her collarbone and over her neck all the way to her jaw. There was a hand on her waist and another holding her hand next to her head against the wall, and there was something deeply familiar about the man's touch, but the hands were smaller than Ron's, and the lips were more delicate and less clumsy. Her free hand tangled in the man's hair and she found it to be soft and silky, its texture fine, and it hung just slightly over the nape of his neck.

Then the lips were moving from her jaw to her mouth, and warm breath ghosted over her slightly parted lips for a moment before they pressed down on them, feather-lite at first, and Hermione's whole body shivered.

His body pressed against hers as their kiss deepened, and Hermione didn't care much to find out who this familiar stranger was, because her mind was utterly blank. She had become a purely physical being, completely caught up in the sensations and feeling like a lit firework. The lips danced from her lips and across her cheek to her ear, where teeth nipped ever so gently and a voice groaned her name.

"G_ranger_..."

Hermione's eyes flew open suddenly, and the moonlight fell across Draco's flushed face, revealing her lover's identity. Her mouth fell open but he only smirked, and lifted her up by her hips and carried her to the bed.

Then she was on her back, lying on the most luxuriously comfortable bed she could have ever imagined, and Draco's weight was on her. He attacked her lips again and she didn't protest, even though this was her ex-lover and not her boyfriend. He felt too good to turn away from, and it all felt far too right, as if she had been waiting her whole life to be this close to this boy.

His hand was moving up her leg pushing up her skirt as it went, and there was something rather hard and ominous that Hermione felt pressing into her, but as this was a dream, she felt no fear, and instead welcomed the prospect of what was surely to come.

Fabric was torn from their bodies and the only sound in the world was their heavy breathing, and just as Hermione was about to go beyond the point of no return, Draco and the entire scene dissolved, and she sprang up in bed with a loud gasp that woke every girl in the room.

"You okay?" asked Ginny hoarsely, sitting up. "Nightmare?"

Hermione panted wildly, and before her brain could form words, Luna spoke. "Oh, I don't think she had a nightmare. She usually yells a lot with those. And her face usually isn't that red afterwards. Were you dreaming about Ron?"

Dumbfounded at what Luna had just said, Hermione stared at the girl. Ginny looked thoroughly disturbed. "Luna - _gross_!" the redhead exclaimed.

"Can we all just go back to sleep," Padma groaned.

Luna shrugged. "I hope you sleep better, Hermione," she said nicely and sank back into bed.

Hermione and Ginny did the same, but faced one another in their close beds. "Was it a nightmare?"

"... Of sorts," Hermione whispered. There was only one person in the world she could tell the truth about the dream to, but the idea of telling Harry about it was mortifying. She would have to take this dream to her grave, though truthfully, she would have told Ginny about the dream, and her history with Draco, if she wasn't dating her brother. "But no big deal."

But it was a rather large deal to Hermione, and as she entered the Great Hall the next morning, it was all she could think about. She would have to face both Ron and Draco within minutes, and for a moment she considered bolting and hiding in the library, but her growling stomach left her no choice. So, being the strong and confident war hero that she was, Hermione stared at her feet and slouched to her usual seat at the table, hoping nobody would notice she existed.

Neither Ron nor Draco was there yet, and Hermione breathed in relief. Maybe she could hurry and eat before they showed up.

"Hey, Hermione," came Harry's familiar voice as he appeared and took a seat next to her, in Ginny's usual spot.

She looked up at him with a mouth filled to its limit with eggs. "Herro."

Harry furrowed his brows. "Since when do you eat like Ron?"

Hermione shrugged and swallowed with some difficulty, then took a big gulp of pumpkin juice. "Trying to hurry. Lots to do today."

"Right," Harry said, pouring the same juice from a jug into his goblet and still surveying her oddly. "Avoiding someone?"

"Aboiding subone?" Hermione repeated before swallowing another huge mouthful. "Why would you say that?"

"No reason," Harry shrugged. "Although I have known you for seven years and I know what you look like when you're avoiding someone."

Hermione finished her breakfast with her third bite, and drained her goblet of pumpkin juice. "You're imagining things. I'll see you at lunch."

Hermione then jumped up from the table a little too quickly, believing she had successfully escaped what would have been an undoubtedly awkward breakfast for her, but as soon as she was on her feet, a tall body smacked into her and she staggered back, exclaiming "Ow! My foot!"

But then she looked up to see the equally ruffled Draco Malfoy, and her sense of success dwindled. He looked as if he had been preparing to spit out a snarky suggestion about how to learn to watch where one is walking, but his face softened instantly when he realized who he had collided with. "Granger," he smirked with a nod.

Hermione frowned at him and stalked off, headed to the library where she intended to hide until she could forget about that blasted dream of hers.

Draco watched her leave, then glanced at Harry, who commented, "You might want to start watching where you're going."

"Shove off, Potter," Draco retorted before taking his seat on the opposite side of the table. Harry snorted, but as he thought back on what had just happened, he was quite sure that he didn't like the way Draco had been looking at Hermione one bit.

* * *

By the time dinner was drawing close, the dream was still fresh in Hermione's mind, despite her efforts to push it away and focus on her work in the library. She was tired from the lack of decent sleep the night before, and her eyes were growing heavier with each passing hour.

After the rest of the volunteers had gone to dinner, Hermione was lingering behind at a desk she had transfigured from the wreckage of some bookshelves, trying to piece back together by hand a very old book on the origins of divination when her eyes finally couldn't hold themselves open any longer. Her head fell on top of the book with a thud, and she began to snore.

Then she was inside Malfoy Manor, and the familiar hard, cold floor of the vast drawing room was underneath her. Bellatrix Lestrange was on top of her, screaming, and then the pain was back. Searing, sickening, debilitating pain that would only stop when Bellatrix would give her a chance to answer her questions, questions she had already answered a thousand times...

And then her head lolled to her right, and she was staring with deadened eyes at Draco, pleading inside of her mind for him to help her, to do something, anything to make it stop. But he couldn't hear her, and he didn't lift a finger. He simply watched, and she continued to scream inside her mind, hoping for a miracle that she feared would never come...

"Miss Granger? Miss Granger!"

Hermione's eyes opened and she saw a face framed with long blonde hair close to hers, concern etched in the woman's features. "Miss Granger, it's alright. You're alright."

"Wh - I don't - Mrs. Malfoy?" Hermione stammered in confusion. Her voice was hoarse, and with an inward groan she realized this must have meant she had been screaming.

Narcissa's hand was on Hermione's back, and there was a very motherly air about her in that moment. "I left my bag here and came back to get it, and you were... yelling."

Hermione pushed her hair behind her ears and felt humiliated, but her embarrassment tripled when she saw a rather horrified looking Draco standing in the doorway. His expression was a combination of shame and sadness, but as soon as their eyes met, he turned on his heel and hurried away.

Hermione looked at Narcissa in confusion. "What - what was I saying?"

Narcissa's eyes grew sad and she seemed reluctant to answer the younger girl, but after a moment she spoke. "You were saying Draco's name. Begging for his help. And you were crying."

Hermione's heart sank. It was bad enough that she had to deal with her recurring nightmares and with reliving her worst experience on a regular basis, but she never banked on this.

She looked up at Narcissa again but neither witch knew what to say. So Hermione mumbled her thanks for being woken, and quickly rose from her desk and sprinted from the library.

She made a pit stop on her way to dinner at a girl's prefect's bathroom, where she tried to fix her slightly disheveled appearance. She had been so foolish to let the previous night's dream affect her so - who cares if she had a dream about Draco that involved moonlight and an amazing canopied bed, at least she had gone a night without her Malfoy Manor nightmare. But because of her foolishness, she had kept herself awake nearly the rest of the night, and she had nodded off in the middle of the day and allowed the boy and his mother to witness something that previously only Luna had seen.

But what was Draco doing there in the first place? Narcissa had a reason to show up, but he didn't. He must have gone with his mother to the library to try to get Hermione to have the talk with him that he had requested, she reasoned. Well, now that talk was really never going to happen, she thought. She never wanted to see or speak to the boy again. She saw enough of him whenever she closed her eyes.

Eventually she dragged herself to the Great Hall and sat down between Ginny and Ron as usual, ignoring the two blonde heads across the table to her right.

"Where've you been?" Ron asked the second she sat down, handing her a plate of food. "I was about to go looking for you."

Hermione sighed and took the plate. "I fell asleep in the library."

Hermione glanced at Ginny and then tried to focus on her food, but her stomach lurched at the sight of her meal and she grimaced.

"Well, I didn't see you at all at breakfast and you only spent five minutes with me at lunch," Ron pouted. "I've barely seen you at all today."

"Sorry, Ron, but I've had a bit more on my mind today than making sure I'm around to hold your hand," Hermione snapped, but the guilt had already set in before all of the words even left her mouth. She glanced at the affronted look on Ron's face and quickly muttered, "I'm sorry. It's just been a long day."

"We're all working hard, Hermione," Ron said. "But I just got here after a month of not seeing you, and -"

"Would you lay off her, Ron?" Ginny snapped, leaning forward and glaring at her brother. "She's trying to rebuild a library that was blown to bits and in case you hadn't noticed, none of us are sleeping well." She emphasized the last few words, and Ron's face became guilty. He stuffed a yeast roll into his mouth and looked away, while Hermione gave Ginny a small but grateful smile.

"I'm assuming your nap wasn't a pleasant one," Ginny said under her breath, and Hermione shook her head.

"No. It was the same nightmare as always. Except this time it was Mrs. Malfoy who woke me up," Hermione whispered with a groan. Ginny's eyes widened and she added, "Draco saw it too, and apparently I was talking and screaming so they knew what I was dreaming about."

She left out the part about how they heard her pleading with Draco for help, which had been the most humiliating part. "Blimey," Ginny muttered. "That's awful." When Hermione just nodded and went back to looking at her plate as if it were filled with scorpions and slugs, Ginny asked, "What's it like working with her? Mrs. Malfoy?"

Hermione shrugged. "It's fine, I suppose. She apologized to me the first day about what... her sister did to me," Hermione said, not wanting to say the dead witch's name. "Other than that, we haven't spoken much."

"Do you think they're sincere? They seem it, but I really don't know."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Mrs. Malfoy, maybe. But Draco will always only care about his own interests. He's like his father that way."

Ginny grinned a bit strangely. "You seem to have a keen insight into the inner workings of Draco Malfoy."

Hermione shrugged, placing a tiny speck of a baked potato in her mouth with her fork. "Sirius once said, 'nobody stops being a Death Eater', and I have to say, I agree."

"And what about Snape?" Ginny countered. "He stopped being a Death Eater. For love."

"Snape was different," Hermione insisted.

"But even still, it's not as if Draco chose to get the Dark Mark. He was probably the least enthusiastic member in that lot's history."

"And why are you defending him all of a sudden?" Hermione demanded, trying hard to keep her voice quiet.

Ginny shrugged. "He's been decent to me the last two days. Him and Harry still bicker like an old married couple and call each other names all day, but he seems different now. Of course I could be wrong. But that's just what I think."

Hermione scowled and cast a glance in the Malfoys' direction for the first time. Neither mother nor son had touched much of their food, and Draco was leaning his head on the palm of his hand, looking rather miserable.

Hermione tried to take pleasure in the boy's misery, since, after all, he deserved it, but she just didn't have it in her.

After dinner, Hermione let Ron take her to the Quidditch field so he could show her what he was spending his days working on, and talking about the mundane details helped get her mind off her recent dream issues. The field was a mess - nearly all of the goals had been burned to the ground, and the grass was brown and brittle. The stands had been badly damaged too, and Ron and Ginny were spending most of their time repairing them while Harry and Seamus were helping the architect assigned to the field reconstruct the goal posts and towers.

"... So that leaves Malfoy to work with the grass. He got the most boring job of all," Ron grinned. "He started out working on the goal posts but him and Harry wouldn't shut up, so he took over tending to the ground. Although he helps Ginny with the stands when I take breaks. 'Course, I keep an eye on him, just in case he has other motivations for helping her."

Hermione pictured Draco trying to put the moves on Ginny and stifled an urge to scream. "But why is anyone worried about the grass? Quidditch is played on brooms, not grass. Does it even matter?"

Ron shrugged. "I guess they want it fixed for photos or something. But there were some pretty big holes in the ground that needed filling in. He filled those in a day, though. So now he's been re-planting grass. I'd feel bad for him if he wasn't an obnoxious git."

"Ginny said he's been better, though," Hermione said.

"He's fine to her and Seamus. But even after he apologized to Harry, they're still always at each other's throat. I mean, it's not as bad as before, but still annoying. And sometimes he looks at me like he wants to kill me, bloody freaks me out."

Hermione laughed. "I think you'll be fine. Malfoy's nothing compared to Horcruxes."

Ron grinned and pressed a kiss to her temple. "That's true. So, I was thinking about something..."

"Okay," Hermione replied, sitting down on one of the repaired parts of the stands.

"Well," said Ron, sitting beside her, "I was thinking about going straight into the Auror program at the ministry this fall instead of finishing out seventh year."

Hermione looked at her boyfriend as if he had just suggested they go spend the next ten years backpacking through Europe, naked, in search of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. "You can't be serious! That's a ridiculous idea! And anyway, you need to have all of your NEWTs done to get into that program!"

"Me and Harry have already been offered spots in the program, Hermione," Ron grinned. "Without finishing school."

"But - that's special treatment! How could you even consider it? Is Harry considering it?"

"Yeah, he is," Ron replied. "I mean, what are we going to learn seventh year that we didn't learn fighting the war?"

"That's not the point," Hermione said, shaking her head. "You shouldn't be accepting special treatment. You should want to earn the qualifications for a program like that the proper way! And anyway, I'm going to stay and finish my education, so we would never see each other!"

"Well, I know you don't want to be an Auror, but I'm sure you could take your pick of other programs to get into, and then we could be together in London."

Hermione looked scandalized. "Absolutely not! I plan on starting my career the proper way, thank you very much! And I seriously doubt Harry's really going to leave Ginny after being away from her from so long."

Ron sighed in frustration and looked away. "I should have known you would react like this." He then paused and added, "Look, do you really want to know why I want to do this? You know I've never been the best student. I'll never get the marks to get in that program. This is my only chance to be an Auror."

Hermione had to admit he had a point. Ron had copied her homework more times over the last six years than he had wrote his own, or at least it seemed that way. "Well, I'm staying. And I'm not changing my mind."

"Fine," Ron said neutrally, but she could see the anger behind his eyes. But how could he have ever really expected her to skip her final year at Hogwarts? Didn't he know her better than that?

They walked back to the castle in silence, and spent the rest of the night in the common room being jealous of Harry and Ginny, who were so blissfully in love it was a bit sickening. Neville and Luna were more in sync than Ron and Hermione as well, but Hermione kept assuring herself that all they needed was time. Not that they would have any if Ron spent her final school year in London, however, she thought morosely.

Hermione followed Luna to bed that night feeling rather disgruntled, but exhausted, and the nightmares came late in the morning, allowing her the largest number of dreamless hours of sleep that she'd had since the war began.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Your reviews/favorites/alerts make my day. The story starts to take off here - lots of goodness coming soon! I have like 15 or 16 chapters written already and still have quite a bit to go... which makes this story astoundingly long for me lol. **

A week passed, and slowly, progress was being made on reconstruction. Draco had finished replanting the grass on the Quidditch field, and spent his hours helping with the rest of the field when he managed to keep his mouth shut. Hermione and her team were making some progress as well, and had sent out several owls requesting new books from other libraries and shops around the world. To Hermione's relief, a few advanced repair charms that were being used to repair the rest of the castle worked on several irreplaceable books that had been unearthed from the wreckage. And, as a bonus, Harry had assured Hermione after a particularly impressive lecture from her that he had every intention of finishing his education at Hogwarts, unlike Ron.

However, as she learned at breakfast one morning, not all of her endeavors were showing as much progress.

An owl had swooped down in the middle of her chatting with Ron and knocked over her goblet of pumpkin juice into her lap, and after letting out a shriek that got the attention of the entire room, she realized the letter tied to the bird's leg was from the Australian Ministry of Magic.

She tore open the letter with a fury, but her face fell quickly upon reading it.

"Not good news?" Ginny asked.

Hermione shook her head and tossed the letter aside. "They don't have any leads on where they are."

Ron took her hand. "We're gonna find your parents, Hermione. My dad's helping, too. We're gonna find them."

Hermione nodded, and her eyes flickered to the Malfoys. Draco had been watching her and straining to listen to what was going on, but snapped his head down and became intrigued with his toast as soon as she had looked his way. But Narcissa was busy reading a letter of her own with a look of distress on her face.

When Hermione had headed to the library fifteen minutes later, her gloomily discouraged thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps racing to catch up with her.

"Granger!" came the breathless voice of Pansy Parkinson, and Hermione stopped in her tracks.

"Yes?" Hermione asked somewhat confusedly.

"Sorry to bother you," the brunette said, "but I was just wondering if I could start working in the library with you instead of the greenhouses. I really can't take another day of it."

"Oh - well yes, I'm sure I could do an exchange with Professor Sprout," Hermione replied, "but why?"

Pansy frowned. "Not everyone agrees with what you and McGonagall said about unity when we first got here."

Hermione nodded. "I see. Not to be nosy, but can I ask who's been giving you a hard time?"

"It's mostly the Patil girl," said Pansy.

"Are you serious? Padma?" Hermione asked. She bunked with the girl every night, and she had never seen her act mean to anybody the whole time she had gone to school with her.

"Well, I don't exactly blame her, after what happened to her sister, and frankly I know I deserve it after how I've behaved my whole life," Pansy said, "but I really can't take it anymore."

"Alright. Why don't you take the day off, and I'll get everything squared away with Sprout," Hermione said, and relief washed over Pansy's face.

"Thank you so much - really, you have no idea," Pansy said, taking Hermione's hand and giving it a squeeze of gratitude. "Draco said you were very fair-minded, but -"

"Draco? What about Draco?" Hermione said suddenly, and Pansy froze.

"Oh, I - thanks again, I'll see you later," Pansy said hastily as she dashed off, leaving Hermione frowning as she watched her disappear down the corridor.

Shaking her head at the astounding weirdness of how well she and Pansy seemed to get along when only last year they utterly loathed each other, Hermione continued on her walk to the library and tried to stop from speculating on the conversations Draco was apparently having about her with Pansy.

She hoped against hope that he was keeping his mouth shut about their six week long relationship from sixth year, as she was unwilling to deal with the consequences of what would happen if everyone were to find out about it. Ron would be livid, Ginny would be put out because Hermione hadn't confided in her about it, and not to mention she doubted if anyone would understand how in the world she could have consorted with a Death Eater while he had been actively trying to assassinate Albus Dumbledore.

She was busy imagining the entire school turning against her and despising her when she walked into the library, and found a rather harried looking Narcissa waiting for her, dressed in her traveling cloak.

"Miss Granger - I'm glad you're here," Narcissa said, taking Hermione aside. "I've received an owl from our company's office in London and there's a bit of a crisis right now, and I must go and tend to it. I don't foresee that I should be able to return, but I shall still help in any way I can."

Hermione nodded, though disappointed - Narcissa had been incredibly fast at sifting through the library's wreckage, and had taught her several helpful charms in the last week that made her do her job more efficiently. There hadn't been any awkwardness between her or the Malfoy family matriarch after she had given Hermione her apology, and she was generally quite easy to get along with. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"As am I. If I could ask one last thing of you," Narcissa said, "Draco doesn't have a lot to do down at the Quidditch field, so if you could let him come and work here, I know he would prefer it, and he could take my place."

Hermione's hesitance didn't go unnoticed. "I'm only asking you to consider it, Miss Granger," Narcissa said with a small smile. "I must be off now. Good luck with the library."

Then she was off, and Hermione sighed and eyed her latest pile of books and loose parchment with unease. Trading Sprout one of her two fourth year Hufflepuff volunteers for Pansy would help, but she did need to find a replacement for Narcissa, and the only person she could think of whose current job was nearly useless was Draco.

Hermione groaned and dug into her two-foot high pile of destroyed books.

* * *

Cho, Dean, and the two Hufflepuffs had just gone off to lunch when Hermione decided to work through the meal. She was exceptionally good at thinking things through whilst working, and she wasn't very hungry either. She glanced at a clock on the wall and decided to work another thirty minutes, then head to Professor Sprout's office to discuss trading volunteers, when that blasted drawling voice she loved to hate so much came from the doorway.

"Thought you'd be here," Draco said from the doorway. Hermione looked up and saw that he was wearing his usual working uniform of black trousers and an open long-sleeved black button-down shirt over a white t shirt, and it made him look oh so very... Muggle. That part of her that she was so good at suppressing liked this look very much. "Can I help you?"

"Just want to talk."

Hermione sighed and knew she had to suck it up and talk to him this time. She motioned for him to enter, and transfigured a chair for him to sit in. He strode to the chair and sat, pulling out a few wrapped sandwiches and tossed them in front of her. "Brought you lunch."

She eyed him and grabbed one of the sandwiches, suddenly feeling her hunger. "Thank you."

A moment of silence passed, and Draco spent it gathering his words. Hermione had just bit into her turkey and cheese sandwich when he finally spoke. "I'm sorry, Hermione."

She stopped chewing and stared at Draco. He had only ever used her first name once in her life, and that was when she had been going off on a tangent and nothing else was getting her attention. She looked into his silver eyes and saw enough guilt for a hundred lifetimes passing through them.

"I don't have any excuses. I wish I could change what happened but I can't. You might not believe me, but it haunts me every day, what happened to you."

She put down the sandwich and deeply searched Draco's face, looking for any trace of deception or insincerity, but his expression was one of genuine regret and misery. "You just stood there," Hermione whispered.

"I know," Draco replied. "And I hate myself for it."

"I don't think I could have watched that happen to you," Hermione said. "I would have done something. Even if it would have gotten me killed."

"You're a better person than I am," Draco said quietly. "You always have been."

Hermione felt tears stinging behind her eyes. "I don't think I can forgive you. I really don't. I don't think I can get past it."

"I don't expect you too," he answered sadly. "But I couldn't go on without apologizing to you, whether you accept it or not. Especially after seeing you and hearing you the other day..." Draco shook his head at the memory of watching Hermione cry and yell in the midst of her nightmare.

"I have that nightmare nearly every night," Hermione admitted.

"So do I. Always the same. I'm standing there watching, and I can't move, and it just goes on and on."

Hermione tried hard not to feel sorry for Draco, but she couldn't help it. Her heart was too good, and she knew all too well the horror of having to relive your worst experiences every night.

"Your mother said that after we escaped... that he..."

Draco nodded. "Yes."

"How bad?"

Draco hesitated for a moment, then stood and turned his back to her. He lifted up his shirt and Hermione gasped.

His back was covered with scars of deep gashes, all criss-crossing one another and extending from the small of his back to the base of his neck. Parts of his skin reminded Hermione of Mad-Eye Moody's face, as chunks seemed to be missing in areas. It seemed unthinkable for a man of only 18 to be so badly scarred like this, but Hermione was used to the unthinkable being reality.

"It's not all," Draco said, dropping the shirt back down and sitting once more. He tugged back his right sleeve and pulled out his wand, and with a wave of it an ugly, jagged scar appeared on his forearm, bearing the word _coward_.

The scar looked so familiar, and Hermione was puzzled until she realized why. "Bellatrix did that."

He nodded. "I had this before she hurt you. She would try to make me kill Muggles she had gotten done torturing and I refused every time. The last time she tried to make me, she gave me this. Used the same knife as she did on you. I never told my mum, so I keep it hidden."

And there they sat, the coward and the mudblood. Hermione could not imagine living as he had, and slowly her hatred and resentment began to dwindle. He had lived through unspeakable terror, seen things nobody should see, and had the scars of a prisoner of war. And that was what he had been, really - a prisoner in his own house, and clearly, a punching bag to Voldemort and his followers, even his own aunt. That he survived at all was a miracle, and Hermione couldn't fight the tears any longer. She had once loved this boy, and been consumed by him, and she would always feel his pain as her own.

And, a part of her realized, the fact that his recurring nightmare was of watching her being tortured rather than any of the abuse he had suffered himself, truly said something.

"Oh, Draco,"' she cried as she stood up and rushed to him. He stood as well, and she threw her arms around him and enclosed him in a crushing hug.

She buried her face in his shoulder and sniffed back a gush of tears, and she was squeezed tightly by his arms. They held onto each other as if for survival for what felt like forever, and it seemed to fill a void in each of them that they only just now realized was there. It was a combination of release and comfort, and their nightmares had never seemed so far away.

When Hermione did pull herself back, she saw Draco's silver eyes glistening and felt the thumb of his right hand brush her cheek while his other hand clasped her own.

"I'm sorry," Draco murmured. Hermione nodded, but he continued. "I'm so sorry. I know how bad your nightmares are, and I hate that I'm in them..."

Hermione pulled him into another hug, closing her eyes as he embraced her with such fervor, and old feelings began to resurface. It seemed absurd to be comforting the boy who had watched her be tortured and hadn't done a thing to stop it, but she was beginning to remember how he used to make her feel, and how even back then, when they had spent hours together in secret, he had never held her like this...

Then she felt Draco's head shift just a little, and his breath was on her ear. She shivered and started to get nervous, but her mind started going dangerously blank at the feel of his lips as they pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. It felt so innocent and yet so _not_, and he began to place one kiss after another, each one getting closer to her mouth, until their noses were nearly touching, and his eyes were burning into hers, and she couldn't move, couldn't think, and couldn't breathe. His lips brushed almost unfathomably softly against hers, and then a voice from the doorway made them jump apart with fright. "Hermione."

Harry's voice wasn't shocked, but very serious. Hermione looked from Draco to Harry and back again, in disbelief of what she had almost done. Draco seemed equally as flabbergasted.

Harry looked at Draco and said, "Ron's not far behind me. You need to leave now."

Draco glanced at Hermione once more before sprinting off. Hermione looked at Harry somewhat horrified, and he shook his head slightly, his face incredulous. He was so confused by what he had just seen that he could barely form words. "Hermione, wh - what are you think-"

"It wasn't what it looked like," Hermione blurted in a too-high voice. "I swear."

"Well, it was something," said Harry, eyebrows high on his forehead.

Hermione was about to assure him that it was nothing, really, but then Ron appeared in the doorway, and both Harry and Hermione instantly put their poker faces on. "There you are!" Ron smiled. "I'm starting to think you're trying to avoid me."

Hermione gave her boyfriend a small smile, and glanced at Harry one more time as she followed Ron out of the library. Harry mouthed the words we're talking later, and Hermione nodded.

After a very quiet dinner that night where Hermione and Draco avoided looking at each other at all costs, Harry made up some excuse about wanting Hermione's help with something very vague, and they walked to Gryffindor Tower together. The boys' dorm was deserted, so the two best friends sat on the edge of Harry's bed, and Harry cast a silencing charm just to be safe.

"So," Harry said, "Explain to me what I saw earlier."

Hermione sighed heavily and looked at her feet as she launched into her story. She told Harry how Draco and Narcissa had witnessed one of her nightmares, and how she had avoided him for as long she could. Her voice shook as she told Harry of Draco's apology and his horrendous scars, and even Harry winced as she described them. Then she quietly explained how they had been embracing, and how Draco had kissed her cheek, and how that had turned into the almost-kiss that Harry had witnessed.

"... So as you can see, it was nothing," Hermione finished, drawing in a deep breath.

"Nothing?" Harry repeated with raised eyebrows. "Really, is that what you're telling yourself?"

"Well, it's rather obvious that Draco still has feelings for me, but I'm with Ron, so it doesn't matter."

"Not to burst your bubble, Hermione, but it didn't look like Ron was anywhere close to being on your mind when I walked in earlier. I mean, what would have happened if I hadn't walked in and stopped you?"

Hermione frowned and thought back on the almost-kiss, and how Draco's lips had just barely touched hers before they were interrupted. Her mind also flickered to the heated dream of hers that Draco had starred in a week earlier, and she had to suppress a shudder.

"If you still have feelings for Malfoy, it's not going to do you any good to act like they don't exist and string Ron along," Harry said. "You both deserve better than that."

Hermione couldn't bear the thought of Harry being right. She didn't want to go down that road again with Draco, not after everything that had happened last time. Besides, would Draco even be any more willing to have a public relationship with her than he had the first time? He would probably still be ashamed of her, and not want anyone to know he had stooped so low as to associate with a mudblood. Sure, he seemed different now, now that the war was over, but had he really changed? Was his behavior earlier just his attempt of ridding himself of the pesky guilt he was feeling?

More to the point, why couldn't Hermione just forget about the boy and be happy with Ron, who was perfect for her?

"No," Hermione said, "I love Ron. And I want to be with him."

"You sound like you're talking yourself into believing that," Harry muttered.

Hermione sighed. "I don't deny that I feel something for Draco. I probably always will," She admitted, feeling strange saying the words out loud. "But after everything that's happened, and with how he is... it could never end well. But Ron and I will have a good future."

"You won't if you're secretly pining over a bloody ferrety git forever," Harry pointed out.

"I'm not 'pining'!" Hermione protested. "I just... I felt sorry for him."

"I always almost-snog everyone that I feel sorry for," Harry retorted, almost grinning, even though nothing about this was funny.

Hermione frowned impatiently. "I didn't -"

" Look," Harry interrupted, "There's obviously something going on, and you've got to figure it out. For both your sake and Ron's."

"I suppose I'll figure it out soon enough," Hermione sighed. "After all, I'm going to be working with him every day from now on."

"What?"

"Mrs. Malfoy had to leave, and now I'm one person short. I'm going to have to replace her with Draco."

"There's nobody else? That can't be - you can have Ginny instead," Harry quickly said.

"I'm not going to take her from you," Hermione smiled. "You've been waiting a long time to spend time with her, and I'm not taking that from you."

"Well, then maybe Ron -"

"Ron?" Hermione chuckled, "Work in a library? I'd rather Peeves."

"There has to be somebody else," Harry insisted.

"I'm going to ask around tomorrow morning, but I already know I'm most likely stuck with him. Pansy Parkinson's replacing one of my Hufflepuffs, too."

Harry blinked. "Things are getting stranger every day."

Hermione nodded. "In a good way, though. For the most part."

"Just as long as I don't ever walk in on anything like that again. I still feel ill thinking about it."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'll try. You're a good friend, Harry."

Harry placed his hand over Hermione's smaller one. "I am, aren't I."

Hermione chuckled lightly. At least through everything they had seen and been through, and all they had survived together, Harry hadn't changed, and Hermione would be forever grateful for the friend she had in him.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: this chapter's told from Draco's perspective, and a bit of Pansy's. It's a bit short, sorry about that... thanks as always for your wonderful feedback and favorites/alerts. :D**

No matter what he did, he could not get the girl out of his head. It was like sixth year all over again, except he felt even more out of his mind this time.

Draco Malfoy sat on a sofa in the Slytherin common room, twirling his wand absently in his hand, staring into the fireplace, lost in thought. Blaise was behind him in an armchair, lost in a book, and Pansy was in her dorm. They spent most of their nights like this. Blaise kept to himself these days, despite he and Draco having been best mates before, leaving Pansy his only choice for company usually, which would have been fine if not for the fact that he'd had to reject her romantic advances on their first day here. She'd always had feelings for Draco, and he had indulged them in the past when it suited him, but for a while now he found that he didn't have it in him to use the girl anymore. Pansy had taken his rejection fine, and they had even had a long conversation thereafter where Draco told her a bit about his history with Hermione, but she had been keeping her distance more than usual since then. He couldn't blame her. Nobody wanted to be very close to him these days.

But then he remembered his encounter with Hermione earlier that day, and how he had come so close to kissing her. He'd been in shock that she hadn't hexed him into next Wednesday just when he walked into the room, and when she had thrown her arms around him he was sure he must have been dreaming. Why would this girl, who he had hurt so badly in sixth year and hurt even more by silently witnessing her torture, _not_ hate him with every fiber of her being?

A little more than a week ago, when he had arrived at Hogwarts with his mother, he had watched Hermione closely when they first saw each other. Her eyes had been hard, and he could see the anger there, but he didn't see the hatred he had anticipated. Then she had kissed that hideous Weasel, and he'd never wanted to punch the ginger freak so badly before in his life.

Watching them was nauseating, and he was grateful they didn't seem to be much for PDA. She could do so much better than him, he thought to himself. Even Potter would have been a better option, in Draco's view.

Draco shook his head and refocused his thoughts. He went back to trying to figure out why she didn't hate him like he deserved to be hated. When he had planned his apology in his head, he had imagined her screaming at him, throwing things, demanding to know how he had the audacity to apologize after all he had done. He would have deserved all of that and more, but yet, she had hugged him. _Hugged him._

Of course, she _was_ a bleeding heart Gryffindor. But no other Gryffindors were throwing their arms around him and comforting him. They were all merely tolerating him, mostly by pretending he didn't exist. His heart had performed gymnastics at the idea that she still had feelings for him, and that that was why she had reacted as she did. The idea had compelled him to act, to test the theory, and he wasn't disappointed with the results.

He thought about how he'd kissed the soft skin of her cheek, and how he had felt her shudder in his arms. It felt so good to hold her again, and all he'd wanted was to taste her lips again, to lose himself as he used to in her, and he nearly had before Potter had interrupted him.

He wasn't even angry at the blasted Boy Who Apparently Couldn't Die - after all, Potter had done him a favor and warned him of the Weasel's impending arrival. Not that he was opposed to the idea of Weasley catching him kissing his girlfriend - perhaps he should have felt badly about his attempts to make Granger a cheater, but he was a Slytherin, and when he wanted something, he would do whatever it took to get it.

He sighed. So now he was admitting it, even if only in his own mind, that he wanted Hermione Granger. Having been raised as he was, Draco couldn't help his knee-jerk reaction of slight shame and of never wanting to tell a soul, but he quickly reminded himself that even his own mother had told him recently that she had rejected the blood purist ideology he'd been indoctrinated with since birth. Still, it was difficult to part ways with beliefs you had held your entire life, and it didn't help when your father would sooner sprout fairy wings and call himself Tinkerbell than change his beliefs.

But he had to cast those prejudices aside, as his mother had, and overcome his past. There was a lot to overcome, not the least of which was the tattoo on his left forearm, which was exposed at the moment by his lack of sleeves. He looked down at the fading Dark Mark that marred the pale flesh of his arm and felt the usual pangs of revulsion and regret that came when he looked at it, but this time he compared it to the _coward_ scar on his other forearm. If the Dark Mark was the proof of his foolishness and of his error when it came time to choose sides in the war, his _coward_ scar was the proof that his heart had never truly been in that choice.

At least, he thought, the scars balanced each other out, but they were also symbolic of his lack of a place in the new post-war wizarding world. He was an ex-Death Eater who hadn't defected until the final battle, and had never been respected or valued by the side he had served in the war, nor had he done anything to redeem himself to the Light side, unlike his mother. Indeed, the only reason he was free and not locked in a cell next to his father was Potter, and he despised being in his debt. That was why he was at Hogwarts, doing such ridiculous things as planting grass and filling holes in the ground; he had a debt to pay, and it seemed fitting that he should help rebuild what he had also helped to destroy.

Severus Snape had redeemed himself, Draco reminded himself, so it was not an impossible feat. Of course, Snape had also lived his days in mostly solitude, being generally horrible to everyone whose path he crossed, while those on each side whispered about where his true loyalties may lie. Then he had died hated by the side he truly was serving, and would still be hated today if not for Potter's vindication of him. If that was what Draco had to look forward to, then he thought he may as well go and start over in some country where nobody knew who he was and start over completely.

But he wouldn't give up, he decided. He would work hard to redeem himself, even if admitting his faults and errors had always been near impossible due to his enormous ego. That would have to be put aside, but he suspected it wouldn't be so hard as long as Granger was by his side. If she believed in him, nothing else in the world would matter.

He would show her that they could truly be something great. He would show her that she deserved better than to settle for the Weasel and a life of boredom. He would treat her as he should have the first time around, and make sure she never felt the need to settle for a life with a dim-witted mop of greasy red hair.

"Draco?" came Pansy's soft voice. Draco looked up and saw his friend sit beside him on the sofa in front of the fire. He gave her a nod and turned his eyes back to the fire.

"First time I've seen you without sleeves," Pansy said, eyeing both of his forearms. She'd never seen the _coward_ scar before, and her eyes widened when she saw it. "How did you get that one?"

"My aunt," Draco muttered. "Because I wouldn't kill Muggles."

Pansy exhaled and stared into the fire with Draco. She tried to think of something comforting to say, but she had never been good at doing this. A few moments passed before she spoke again, opting to change the subject. "I talked to Granger. I'm going to be working in the library from now on."

"Good," Draco replied. "With any luck so will I."

"It would be nice to be with a friend," Pansy said.

Another moment passed. "I talked to her today. And apologized."

Pansy's eyes widened just a bit. "And?"

"We talked a bit. She hugged me. And then I tried to kiss her," Draco said as if he were recalling what he'd had for lunch.

Pansy's eyes were bulging now. "Are you serious?"

Draco couldn't help but crack a smile and snort with a small laugh. "Yeah. And she would have let me if Potter hadn't interrupted."

Pansy paused for a moment, stuck between jealousy and her desire to see her friend happy. But Draco had never returned her feelings, she knew this, and she deserved better than a boy who only used her when he pleased then forgot about her. Still, they had grown up together, and she had always planned for her future to include him. Letting go of that dream wasn't easy, but she had to do it. Now he was just her friend, and she wanted her friend to be happy. At least that's what she told herself. "You seem pleased."

Draco smirked. "We'll see what happens."

Pansy stared at Draco, wishing the fire that she could see flickering behind his eyes was for her. "You're really in love with her."

Draco paused his twirling of his wand and looked at Pansy. He could see the hurt in her eyes that she was trying to mask, and for the first time in his life, he felt bad for how he had treated her throughout the years.

Pansy was fighting an urge to resort to cruelty, which had been her default ever since she could remember. She could go for the mudblood angle and berate him, and plant fears in his mind about what Lucius would do when he found out. She could scoff and ask what a war hero like Granger would ever want to do with an ex-Death Eater like him. She could think of a million hurtful things to say and she knew which ones would cut him deepest.

"I'm sorry, Pansy. I've been a prat. And I knew I was a prat to you, I just never cared."

Draco was just as shocked as Pansy was by what he'd said. If either of them had looked behind them, they would have seen Blaise peering wide-eyed over his book as well. "Are you ill, Draco?" Pansy asked with a breathless laugh.

He shrugged. "I'm not particularly enjoying all these apologies, trust me." It was true - for a Malfoy, heartfelt apologies were about as enjoyable as eating coal. Saying the words out loud made his skin crawl.

"Well," Pansy said, her vindictive thoughts having melted away at Draco's odd moment of sincerity, "be better to Granger than you've been to me, if you want a chance with her."

Draco turned his eyes back to the fire. "I've already mucked things up so bad in the past. I don't know how she doesn't hate me."

"That's a Gryffindor for you," Pansy muttered. "Ridiculous bleeding hearts. She has more reason than most to hate me, too, and yet she's been so nice. I don't know what those people are made of."

Draco shook his head. "Can you imagine what we'd have said if someone had told us when we were little how our lives were going to turn out?"

Pansy smiled sadly. "I would have said they were a complete nutter."

Draco had thought prior to Voldemort's defeat that his fate had been determined long ago, and that he had little to no say in his own future. He didn't know how he was still breathing, or how he was inside Hogwarts again, the place he had unleashed Death Eaters into just a year prior. Somehow, he had been given a second chance, in spite of it all.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Pansy said, getting to her feet. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you," Draco said, feeling more cheerful tonight than he had in longer than he cared to remember. Just knowing that he still had a sliver of a chance with Hermione, and that somewhere inside of her she still cared for him, made him feel better than he could have imagined.

He went to bed with high spirits that night. Granger would be his, and he would do everything in his power to make it happen – consequences be damned.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: I seriously love all of you who have reviewed/favorited/alerted. I was attacked by a random plot bunny and posted a Dramione one shot called "Free", so hop on over and check it out if you'd like. **

Really, Hermione had to laugh at the situation.

She had spent the morning trying to find someone, anyone, to take the open spot in her group, but nobody was willing to oblige. Sprout was fine with trading Pansy, but that was where her luck ended. It was impossible to ignore the awkwardness of the situation; Hermione and Dean had both been held at Malfoy Manor, Dean for much longer than she, and now they were going to be working every day alongside Draco, as well as a girl who had been a cruel bully to them their entire Hogwarts career. Hermione couldn't imagine Dean taking the news well, but she had no other options.

It was bad enough, the situation being as it was, without throwing in the added stress of having almost allowed Draco to kiss her the previous day, so Hermione decided to pretend it had never happened. Somehow, she had to get through the day, and thinking about how close she had came to such a giant mistake would not aid her.

By the time she dragged herself to the Great Hall, breakfast had nearly ended, and there were only a few students left. Pansy and Draco were sitting together, and far away from them sat a few Ravenclaws Hermione wasn't familiar with.

Well, she thought, these two Slytherins were going to be spending hours with her every day, so she may as well square her shoulders and dive in with dignity. She walked confidently to the vast table and sat down next to Pansy.

"Granger!" Pansy greeted her with surprise.

"Good morning," Hermione said rather professionally, grabbing a piece of toast. She felt a pair of grey eyes boring into her, but she kept herself composed. "I talked to Sprout, and you're with me from now on. You too, Malfoy."

She said the last three words as if she were describing an annoying flea. She kept her eyes fixed on her toast, which she was now slathering marmalade on, but she could feel rather than see the smirk forming on Draco's lips.

"Thank you," Pansy said with a small smile.

Hermione nodded. "I hope you like books, because you're going to be drowning in them for quite awhile."

"Nothing we can't handle," Draco piped up, still not taking his eyes off Hermione. She pretended to have not heard him, and bit into her toast.

Hermione went over the basics of their new tasks with them, and soon, the three of them were off to the library. Cho and Dean were already there and sifting through the wreckage when they arrived, and Dean became confused quickly upon seeing the two Slytherins accompanying Hermione.

Hermione took a steadying breath and spoke as she stepped just beyond the doorway. "These are our new volunteers. Mrs. Malfoy had to leave on business, so her son is replacing her. And I traded Scott with Professor Sprout for Pansy."

Dean looked flabbergasted, but said nothing, and Cho looked thoroughly confused. At their silence, Hermione quietly directed Pansy and Draco to several piles of parchment, and they got to work.

When Hermione turned to get started herself, she was stopped by a dark hand on her shoulder. "What is this?" Dean demanded.

Hermione's expression went from startled to sympathetic. "I know it's awkward, but -"

"Awkward? I was held in his cellar for weeks!" Dean whispered ferociously.

"And he did nothing to help me when I was tortured in front of him," Hermione replied. "I'm not ignorant to what he's done."

"I can't work with him," said Dean. "I won't."

"Then go. Take the day off while I find someone who'll trade you," she said shortly.

"Why should I go? Make him go! Where's your loyalty?"

As a Gryffindor, this query slightly enraged Hermione. "My loyalty is to Hogwarts, as yours should be. What McGonagall said about unity wasn't just words, Dean."

"I don't bloody care about unity," Dean said, his voice raising. "If you had gone through what I did in that cellar -"

"Leave her alone, Thomas."

Hermione's eyes widened and Dean turned around slowly to face the boy who has just interrupted him. "Don't you dare speak to me, Malfoy."

Draco's face was neutral, but defiance peeked through his eyes. "I take it you never received my owl."

"Oh no, I received your stupid owl," Dean shot back. "But don't think I'm daft enough to believe a word of it."

Cho appeared and took Dean's arm, but he shook her off. Draco was beginning to look rather annoyed and muttered, "I really don't care if you believed it or not. But might I suggest you leave Granger alone, and perhaps learn a thing or two from her about leaving the past in the past."

Hermione blinked. Did Draco Malfoy just give her a sort of compliment? In public?

Dean sputtered. "Leaving the past in the - I was in your cellar for weeks! You're a bloody Death Eater! If we hadn't won you would still be holed up with mummy and daddy, too much of a coward to actually stand for anything!"

"Dean," Hermione and Cho said in unison, but there was no stopping him. "You should be in Azkaban right now next to your worthless father! So should your mother, I don't care what she did at the end!"

Hermione barely had time to register what he said, or take note of how much Narcissa's presence must have bothered Dean before and that he had simply hidden it well, because Draco's clenched fist jerked but stayed at his side; however, Dean took this as a green light, and swung hard.

With a crack and a cry of pain, Draco staggered back, and Hermione was now yelling at Dean and gripping his right arm, while Cho held his left. However, he quickly pulled free and lunged at Draco again, but this time Draco snarled and threw a punch of his own, and the two boys began to pummel one another.

Pansy and Cho shrieked but Hermione quickly sprang into action, pointing her wand at the boys and exclaiming "_Petrificus Totalus_!". Dean and Draco froze instantly and became statue-like, then toppled to the floor into beds of loose parchment.

Hermione stood over the boys and said, "If neither of you can handle working with one another then both of you can leave as soon as I lift this charm. There's too much that needs to be done for us to waste time fighting over a war that's over."

Then after a pause, Hermione swished her wand, and the boys came back to life. Dean quickly scrambled to his feet and stormed away, glaring at Hermione and receiving a contemptuous one of his own from Pansy, but Draco stayed sitting on the floor, his hand covering his bloody nose. Cho ran after Dean, and Chance the Hufflepuff was watching the scene with rapt attention. Hermione sighed and extended a hand to Draco.

Draco took her hand in his, and invisible sparks flew where their flesh touched. Hermione involuntarily drew in a great breath at this, just short of a gasp, and quickly withdrew her hand as soon as Draco was back on his feet. She avoided his eyes and lifted her wand to his face, muttering "_Episkey_!", and with another groan of pain, Draco's broken nose was fixed. Neither of them noticed that Pansy had backed away, as if to give them privacy.

"Thanks," Draco mumbled, rubbing his aching nose.

"Just so you know," Hermione said quietly, "I can handle myself without your trying to defend me, or whatever it was you were doing."

"I know you don't need me to," Draco replied, a slight smirk returning to his face. "You're the most capable witch I know. Doesn't mean I don't want to, however."

Hermione opened her mouth to retort but then paused - was that another compliment? "Well - just - I have to get back to work," she stammered, turning around and walking back to her pile. Draco smirked and did the same, though not after carefully watching her walk away. He received a smack on the back of his head from Pansy for that.

Hermione readied her quill and parchment before sifting through the mess, though her mind was far away. Even during their brief relationship more than a year ago, Draco had never complimented her once - never told her she was pretty, or smart, or anything else that girls liked to hear. In fact, he'd rarely spoke at all when they were together, opting instead to snog her until she'd nearly suffocated. Come to think of it, Hermione thought sadly, Ron didn't compliment her much either. He used to, but now it seemed that he thought the fact that they were now together made the fact that he found her attractive a moot point, unnecessary to say out loud. Yet, here was Draco, smirking as always, speaking rather highly of her, and Hermione had the feeling this couldn't possibly end well.

It was an exceptionally hot day, and the library reached sweltering status by the time Hermione returned to the library from lunch. Pansy was out of sight, as she was at the opposite end of the library examining what was left of the restricted section, but the rest of the students were sitting in something of a wide circle, heads down and buried in their work. Cho had returned though Dean hadn't, but it was just as well; the less tension between volunteers, the better.

However, even though Hermione had stolen several quick kisses from Ron after lunch, a different sort of tension began nagging at her after she glanced over at Draco as she sank back into her work. He was holding up two loose pages of a book, turning them over, and he looked confused as he examined them, but that wasn't what got Hermione's attention.

His blonde hair hung just over his eyes as usual, but it was also damp and dripping sweat down his glistening face, and his clothes were growing damper by the minute as well. He was wearing two layers as usual, and Hermione couldn't imagine how much worse that was making things for him, but then she took note of her own long sleeves and frowned. Her growing displeasure at how they were both making themselves more uncomfortable than need be to hide their scars was nearly enough to distract her from her unwanted thoughts of just how amazing a sweat-drenched Draco Malfoy looked to her.

Then, just as she realized she was staring, Draco muttered something under his breath that sounded similar to "duck it" and suddenly tore off his long sleeved shirt, leaving just his white t-shirt and exposing his Dark Mark to the air. She noticed that his _coward_ scar was hidden by a charm, leaving her to wonder why he hadn't done the same to the Mark. Then she realized that it was made with magic so dark that probably no charm could mask it.

In the midst of her thoughts, Draco's eyes caught hers, and with horror she realized that she was still staring. He jerked his eyebrows up and grinned as if to say _like what you see_? and Hermione blushed furiously and quickly turned her attention back to her work.

She was busy inwardly scolding herself and trying to shake off the embarrassment when Cho's exasperated voice got her attention. "Isn't there something we can do about this heat? There must be a charm - this is miserable!"

Hermione nodded her agreement and pulled her quickly expanding hair behind her head, then said, "I know there are some household charms that should help, but I don't know them... usually I would just look it up here, but..."

"I'm sure Flitwick would know - would you mind if I went and asked him?" Cho asked.

"No, not at all - thank you, Cho," Hermione nodded enthusiastically. Cho smiled and bounded out of the library, and Hermione began trying to twist her hair into a knot so at least her head could hopefully cool off a bit, but nothing was working, and she could almost feel it getting frizzier by the moment. After a few moments of struggling in vain, she gave up with a sigh, but then felt her hair sweep up seemingly on its own into a loose but secure bun on the back of her head. She touched the bun and turned to see Draco, who was standing just behind her with his wand out.

He grinned and reached out, then grasped a stray curly strand at her temple between his fingers and then smoothed it down into the rest of her hair. "You shouldn't hide that face of yours."

Hermione blushed once more, and was torn between wanting to know how he had done that with her hair, and wanting to kick herself for blushing again. But then Draco turned and walked away, back to his work, leaving her to gape at him before she noticed that Chance was staring at her, also open mouthed.

Oh great, she inwardly groaned. This was just perfect. The Hufflepuff had just bore witness to Draco's inexplicable flirting, and she could expect the rumors to start tomorrow. This was not good, not good at all.

ooo

"Come on, let's go," Ron whispered into Hermione's ear for the fourth time at dinner that night.

"I'm not done eating," she answered, getting annoyed, though not as annoyed as the blonde boy across the table who looked as if he was ready to fling his dinner knife at Ron.

But Ron kept nudging her, and poking her, and finally she threw down her silverware. "Fine!"

Ron smiled and took her hand, and then he was leading her out of the Great Hall and down the corridor. "Might I ask where we're going?"

"You'll see," Ron grinned.

Where they were going turned out to be a broom cupboard. Ron shoved her in and closed the door behind him, then lit his wand to illuminate the small space. Hermione looked around, and she realized this was not just any broom cupboard. This was the very one where she kissed Draco for the first time in sixth year.

"Why are we in a broom cupboard?" Hermione asked, confused by the glee on Ron's face and trying not to let her mind drift back to the memories this place contained.

"Well, we're alone," he grinned.

"I noticed," Hermione replied blankly. Then Ron's lips were on hers, and she knew that he must have meant for this to be romantic and spontaneous, but it just wasn't. Not like when she was here before...

That time, it had been Draco who shoved her in the broom closet, intending to trap her so he could Obliviate her and remove her memory of discovering the Dark Mark on his arm after a scuffle a week prior. He had taken her wand from her and was closing in, and she did the only thing she could think of to buy more time, which was to kiss him. It had shocked them both, and rattled Draco so badly he had dropped both of their wands and ran, but not after turning the kiss into a full snog of his own accord. The memory brought a chill to her spine and caused her heart to flip, and now that the room was dark again due to the dimming of Ron's wand, she could almost believe that it was Draco's lips that were kissing hers, and Draco's hands that were on her waist.

Guilt set in instantly, and Hermione broke away. Ron then directed his attention to her neck, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight, trying to rid her mind of those haunting silver eyes, wondering what in the world was wrong with her that she would pretend Ron was another man.

But yet, when she thought of Draco, she felt as she thought she should feel. Her pulse quickened and Ron's kisses began to actually make her feel something for the first time since their first kiss during the Battle of Hogwarts.

She could no longer deny that something wasn't right. There was something lacking between Ron and herself, and proof of this was the fact that when Draco had attempted to kiss her the day before, Ron had been the furthest thing from her mind; yet, when Ron kissed her, she could think of nothing but Draco.

It was unfair. She wanted to be with Ron, and it seemed he was who she was always meant to be with. The theory of it had been perfect, flawless - yet the execution had so far been dismal, at least on Hermione's end.

She tried to go back to her trusty excuse of them just needing time, since after all, they had only been properly together for just over a week. But with each day that passed came more confusion, and less romantic feelings for Ron. She would always love him, and he would always be one of her two most dear friends, but it was starting to feel like kissing a sibling.

And yet, despite her undeniably resurfacing feelings for Draco, she still hadn't forgiven him in her heart. She was slowly being consumed by him again, but there was still a part of her that felt bitter and angry, and wanted to stick to her vow of never forgiving him. This same part of her felt safe with Ron, and urged her to stay with him.

The door creaking open roused Hermione from her thoughts and Ron from drooling all over her neck. To their surprise, Luna's large eyes were peering at them, and Neville could be seen behind her, clasping her hand.

"Hello, Hermione, hello Ron," Luna smiled. "Looks like this one's taken, Neville."

Then Luna backed away and closed the door, but not before they caught a glimpse of Neville's embarrassed scarlet face. Hermione and Ron looked at each other and began laughing, and it was a welcome distraction from the turmoil going on in Hermione's head.

ooo

That night in bed, Hermione and Ginny had another late night whispering conversation.

"I was wondering why Dean looked so upset today," Ginny said after Hermione informed her of the scuffle in the library. "He wouldn't tell anyone what happened or why he had a black eye."

"I don't blame Dean," Hermione sighed. "But we're all trying to move on. Including Malfoy."

"Oh, is he now? I thought you said he's just a slimy opportunistic git. Just one day working with him changed your mind?" Ginny smiled.

"No... Well, he apologized to me yesterday," Hermione said.

"Good," Ginny replied. "I take it you found him sincere."

Hermione shivered a bit, remembering the almost-kiss. "I suppose. He has a scar like mine, on his right arm. It says coward. Bellatrix gave it to him because he wouldn't kill any Muggles. It's on the same part of his arm as mine and everything."

"Merlin," Ginny said. "That woman..."

"There are no words to describe what that woman was," Hermione said in a small voice.

"I'll never forget watching mum kill her. I've never been more pleased to witness someone's death."

"Definitely one of your mum's finest moments," Hermione grinned.

Ginny grinned back, then paused for a moment. "You seem to be sleeping better."

Hermione shrugged. "I've still been having the nightmare. But I guess it's a good sign that I haven't woken up screaming in the last few nights. How about you?"

Ginny shook her head. "I'm the same. Still see Fred every night."

Another moment of silence passed, though this one was somber. "I'm glad you get to spend your days with Harry now, though."

Ginny smiled. "Oh yes, me too. And we have the whole next school year together too. I think it's going to be a good year. Pity that Ron won't be here with you, though."

Hermione paused. "What?"

"The Auror program."

"I was under the impression he hadn't made up his mind about that," Hermione grumbled.

"Are you serious? He didn't tell you? Blimey, my brother!" Ginny said a little too loudly, causing the other girls to stir. "He accepted their offer days ago."

Hermione felt anger rising to the surface. "Nice of him to keep me informed," she muttered, but after a moment something began replacing her anger. Was it... relief?

"Oh you just wait. I'll have an earful ready for him tomorrow," Ginny assured her friend, sounding distinctly Molly-ish. Then she her eyes trailed off, and her expression became one of curiosity. "Hermione, if you don't mind, I have a rather mad sounding question to ask you."

"Okay."

"Well... I've noticed that at meals, Malfoy looks at you. A lot. And he looks at Ron like he wants to kill him. So... I know I must be barking mad, but I'm starting to think he's got a crush on you."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh - it was barking mad, but so was everything else in her life. Ginny started laughing as well.

"And now you're telling me he's showing you his scars - what _else_ does he want to show you?"

Hermione laughed harder, but she knew that now the time had come to confess to Ginny her biggest secret. Her friend would figure it out soon anyway, obviously, and she had kept it from her long enough. When the laughter died down, Hermione spoke. "Ginny... I need to tell you something. It's something I should have told you about a long time ago, but I didn't want to tell anyone, and the war gave me a good excuse to keep my mouth shut..."

Ginny began to look alarmed. "... Alright, but you're scaring me."

"Just please try not to be too mad at me," Hermione said, and Ginny's eyes grew bigger.

"Bloody hell, spit it out - I'm getting even more scared, the way you're talking!"

Hermione drew in a huge breath, and launched into her story of her relationship with Draco Malfoy. Ginny said nothing the entire time she spoke, but she did scramble to a sitting position and nearly allowed her jaw to touch the floor when Hermione got to the part about their first kiss. Ginny seemed most shocked, however, by the fact that Harry had known about it nearly all along.

With hesitation, Hermione told Ginny of yesterday's almost-kiss, though she worded it to make herself sound much more blameless. After the story was complete, Hermione sighed and waited for Ginny's full reaction.

Ginny sat there in her bed, the wheels clearly hard at work turning in her head, and finally, after a long silence, she spoke. "Dumbledore knew Malfoy was a Death Eater."

Hermione nodded.

"He knew all along. And when you went to tell him... he told you something cryptic about love and sent you on your way?"

Hermione nodded again. "You know how he was. He could read anyone like an open book. He could tell just by the look on my face when Harry and I went to tell him, I'm sure. And he must have hoped that I could change Draco. That love would bring him to our side." Then Hermione's eyes widened suddenly. "Snape!"

Ginny's brows furrowed. "Snape?"

"When I was about to leave his office, Dumbledore was saying how the most powerful thing in the world was love, and how it can change anyone. And he said 'speaking of which' just as Snape walked into the room. I never understood... he meant Lily. Merlin - if only I had figured that out! We would have known Snape's story..."

"Alright, first of all," Ginny said, "even you couldn't have figured that out with that little to go on. And I'm a bit more concerned with the fact that you have this secret, sordid history with Malfoy to the point where you call him 'Draco' and have him trying to steal you from my brother!"

Hermione looked to her hands. "I wanted to tell you. But I was scared of how you would react, and frankly I've just been trying to forget him."

Ginny shook her head. "I don't know how you've kept this just between you and Harry - I would have exploded without a girl to talk to."

Hermione shrugged, and then Ginny asked, "You don't still have feelings for him, do you?"

She wanted to tell the truth but this was her boyfriend's sister she was talking to, and a thousand ghastly scenarios played out in her head at the thought. "Well... I'll always care for him," she admitted, "but after all that's happened, I don't think I could ever forgive him."

It was the truth - or at least one angle of it. No need to mention to Ginny that Draco still made her heart leap just with a look, and definitely no need to mention the rather heated dream she'd had about him the other night. And she planned to take to her grave the fact that she had imagined Ron was actually Draco when they were snogging earlier.

"That doesn't exactly sound convincing," Ginny said.

"It's the truth. And anyway, I'm with Ron." Then Hermione remembered that he would be leaving for London very soon, and her face fell a bit. "Although I don't know how it will work with him being in London."

"Well, I'm sure Malfoy will be quite excited when he leaves," Ginny frowned. "And you're going to be working with him every day... this isn't good, Hermione."

"Do you mean to say you doubt my ability to resist his advances?" Hermione asked, feigning offense. "Anyway, I'm sure he'll get bored and move on soon enough."

"I hope," Ginny said. "Ah... I've never going to look at him the same way again..."

Hermione laughed. "Tell me about it."

"Do you plan on ever telling Ron?"

Hermione paused. "Well... I don't see what good it will do, honestly. He'll just hate Draco even more and be angry that I never told him."

"At least then he'd understand why Malfoy's always shooting him dirty looks," Ginny said. "I'm still in shock that Mr. Pureblood Snobby Full of Himself Prat is so hung up on a girl he bullied and called terrible names for years. What a hypocrite. But then again, boys tend to be meanest to the girls they like at that age."

Hermione gave a small smile. "Yes, but I don't think that was the case. When I kissed him for the first time, he looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time. He never considered me in that way before then."

"It would all sound so romantic if not for how everything's turned out," Ginny mused. "I reckon if he had chosen differently in sixth year and come to our side that you and my brother wouldn't be together today."

For a moment, what could have been flashed through Hermione's mind. Fighting alongside Draco, not hiding their feelings from anyone; it could have changed so much, and her heart ached at the thought. Then she looked up at Ginny and caught her narrowed eyes - it had taken her far too long to reply, and she realized that her expression must have become wistful. She tried to think of something to say, to save face, but nothing came out.

Then their attention was caught from Luna sitting up in her bed and opening her eyes. She swung her feet off the bed and began to sleepwalk out of the dorms, muttering something about talking radishes.

Hermione and Ginny exchanged looks, then went after their peculiar friend. The conversation was over for now, but Hermione knew she had given too much away.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: I love all of you so much, I'd share my new delicious mocha cappucino hazelnut spread with you guys if I could. But I can't. So here's another chapter instead. With a new twist!**

The scene was the same, but her perspective was vastly different. Hermione was inside her usual nightmare, but this time she was standing rather than laying on the floor, and was not pinned under Bellatrix's weight; she was sweating and shaking, and her stomach was twisting and churning sickeningly and pushing its contents into her throat. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, and her ears were hurting at the shrieks coming from the body atop the crumpled, bushy haired figure on the floor.

She was clutching a wand inside of the pocket of the dark suit she was wearing with a violently trembling hand, and the pointed piece of wood was growing hot to the touch, as if building up a huge burst of power from within. The girl on the floor was crying in between her horrible screams of pain, but she seemed to lose her voice with the latest round of pain that the darker, older witch had blasted into her. Her mouth hung open and her head rolled to the side, and her cloudy brown eyes locked with Hermione's, and it felt as if her heart burst into a thousand pieces at that moment.

A flood of hysterical tears were trying to spill from her eyes, but she held them back, somehow knowing that if she let one slip, she would surely perish. Similarly, even though the desire to act and to kill the wild-haired dark witch who was torturing the girl was overwhelming and her wand was now burning her hand with its desire to cast the Killing Curse, somehow she held back, knowing that such rash actions would mean the death of both herself and the girl. It was excruciating to hold back but somehow she did it, though every fiber of her being was screaming to just _do_ _something_.

Then the dark witch withdrew a short knife and the bushy haired girl let out her most shrill, ear piercing scream yet. Hermione felt herself losing her already shaky control, and her hand withdrew her wand from her pocket. Her fury was so powerful that she was sure all she had to do was think the words _Avada Kedavra_ and the spell would come barreling from her wand, but her fear was also overwhelming, and it was all that kept her from becoming a murderer.

Then the older witch leapt from the smaller girl, screeching about a goblin, and her victim stared unseeingly into Hermione's eyes. Relief washed over her that it was finally over, but her anger still pulsated, and she still felt as if she may be violently sick at any moment. She watched a single tear roll down the girl's face, and suddenly, as impossible as it seemed, a voice exploded inside Hermione's head, though no one in the room spoke a word. It was angry but weak, and shrill as it screamed, over and over, _I hate you_!

A terrible wave of self-hatred and yet even more anger engulfed her, but she kept her eyes on the girl until her glazed, deadened eyes closed. Then Hermione looked over to her right, and her eyes fell on an enormous mirror that sat on the nearest wall, and she saw silver eyes looking back at her under pale blonde bangs and above deep, dark circles. Realization dawned on her as the scene dissolved, and she awoke with a start.

Hermione sat up in bed, her stomach still feeling sick as it had in her dream, and she realized it was morning and that her dorm-mates had already gotten up for the day. She glanced at the clock and then ran to the shower on autopilot, and as soon as the hot water hit her skin, she allowed herself to fully think over her dream.

She had never had a dream before where she had been in someone else's body and watched things through their perspective; it reminded her of Harry's dreams that he'd had in the past, caused by his mental connection with Voldemort, where he would see things from his eyes and feel what he felt. But she had no explanation for her own dream, and she marveled over the detail of it - how genuinely sick and angry and terrified she'd felt, how the wand burned in her hand, and the love and fear she had felt for her own self as she watched herself be tortured. It was just as horrific as her usual nightmare, and highly unnerving - it seemed too real to have simply been a result of her imagination.

But it had to have just been a dream, she reasoned, just a construct of her imagination. After all, it was impossible that Draco could have heard her screams from inside her head.

She dressed quickly after her shower and dried her hair with a quick charm, then hurried down to the common room, intending to bypass it completely but she stopped when she saw Ron, Dean, and Seamus about to walk out of the portrait hole.

"Good morning, Ron," Hermione said in a testy voice, and all three boys stopped and turned.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron smiled. "You slept late today - well, for you anyway."

Dean shot Hermione a glare and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Might I ask for a moment to speak to Ron in private?"

The two other boys then left, and Ron's face turned apprehensive. "Something wrong?"

"Oh no, not at all," she said, arms crossed. "Do you have anything you'd like to tell me?"

"Er -"

"Honestly, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, "Were you ever going to tell me you accepted the Ministry's offer?"

Ron looked down sheepishly. "Well, see, I knew you'd react like this, so..."

"So what? You would just keep putting off telling me, and hope I'd forget about it?"

Ron sighed. "I just wish you would understand my situation -"

"Oh, I understand your situation perfectly! What I don't understand is how you expect us to have a relationship with you in London."

"People have long distance relationships all the time," Ron said earnestly. "It'll be fine!"

"No it won't," Hermione said quietly.

Ron furrowed his brows but said nothing, watching her expression become seemingly pained. She then looked back up at him. "This isn't how I expected things to be, Ron."

"What d'you mean?"

"I mean I have no interest in sitting around all year only talking to you by owl and only seeing you maybe for holidays. We've been through hell the past year, Ron, and I wasn't expecting you to go running off again the first chance you got -"

"What did you just say?" Ron snapped, and Hermione froze instantly. "Run off again? I get it now," Ron grumbled before storming out of the portrait hole.

"Ron - no, wait!" Hermione called, running after him and feeling like a rotten human being. She didn't mean to bring up how Ron had left her and Harry while they were on the run, and she knew he felt horrible enough about it with her rubbing it in.

She chased after him down the corridor, but he ignored her calls until she caught up with him and grabbed his arm. "Ron, listen to me-"

He shook off her arm. "No! You're obviously never going to forget about any of my bloody mistakes, or let me forget about them either."

"Ron -"

"And you can't make me feel guilty for taking a once in a lifetime opportunity to make something of myself I'd have never gotten the marks for. And it's pretty odd that you're acting this way about wanting me to stay when you can barely even stand to kiss me."

She stared at him, opening and closing her mouth wordlessly, then watched as he shook his head and walked away. Her face grew hot and her already uneasy stomach twisted further, and she ran towards the entrance in the castle, feeling as if she'd vomit if she didn't get some fresh air.

It was still early enough that the breeze was cool, and she drew in a huge breath and flopped herself down just outside the entrance, concentrating hard on getting her body under control when a familiar, pleasant voice wafted through the air. "Good morning, Hermione - are you alright?"

Hermione looked up and saw Luna a few feet away, holding what appeared to be a pair of Muggle binoculars. "I - well, not really, actually. Why aren't you at breakfast?"

"Well, the Cherry-Beaked Treegull migration is today," Luna said, motioning to the sky. "It's quite beautiful. They fly in patterns of various constellations."

"Oh that's ni - really?"

"Oh yes!" Luna smiled. "See, those are flying in the shape of Orion."

Hermione couldn't believe it - there really were large amounts of birds in the sky who seemed to be flying in deliberately intricate patterns reflecting the stars. "How have I never noticed them before?"

"You probably just weren't looking at the right times," Luna shrugged. "They're very fast flyers."

Luna sat down beside her friend. "What's wrong?"

Hermione sighed. "Just had a row with Ron. I said something really stupid."

"I've always been rather surprised that you went for Ron," Luna said in her sweet but also perpetually slightly dazed-sounding voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're the most brilliant witch of your year, and probably the whole school. I expected you'd want more of an intellectual match."

Hermione frowned. She really didn't want another reminder of their general lack of compatibility. "He's my best friend. We went through a lot together."

"Oh, don't think you have to explain yourself to me," Luna smiled. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

Hermione gave her friend a small smile, and then Luna turned her eyes back to the sky. Hermione looked back to the birds as well, and was about to comment on an archer-shaped group of the birds when she heard footsteps behind her.

"There you are," came the drawling voice, and Hermione and Luna both turned their heads. Draco walked to them, holding something small wrapped in a napkin, and sat down happily in between them. He nodded to Luna, and she replied with a light "Good morning, Draco."

He turned to Hermione, who looked rather disgruntled, and handed her the napkin-wrapped bundle. "Brought you toast. Why'd you skip breakfast?"

Hermione sighed and surveyed the toast unenthusiastically. Her stomach was still not settled. "Wasn't hungry."

"Hmm," he muttered. "I was under the impression you and the Weasel had a row. He looked a bit more glum than usual." The slight grin on his face gave away that Draco rather enjoyed this fact.

"It's not really any of your business," Hermione snapped, taking a tiny bite of toast and grimacing at her protesting insides.

"Maybe not, but -" Draco cut himself off and Hermione glanced at him and saw his eyes widening a bit. "Merlin, you look awful!"

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks. I appreciate that."

"Yes, that wasn't a very nice thing to say," Luna interjected.

"No, I just mean-"

"I know what you mean," Hermione said. "And again, not that it's any of your business, but I slept terribly."

Something flickered in his eyes, but it was indiscernible. Then he looked away but quickly looked back, appearing to want to say something but deciding against it. Hermione sighed and stood, muttering, "Thanks for the toast. I'll be in the library."

Then she was gone, and Draco frowned and glanced sideways at Luna, then followed her gaze to the sky. The little blonde witch saw this and smiled at Draco. "I take it you didn't sleep well either? Your eyes are quite bloodshot."

He glanced again at her then cast his eyes in front of him, shaking his head.

"I would imagine you have no shortage of things to fill your nightmares," Luna remarked. Draco shifted uncomfortably. "Sometimes it helps to talk about it, you know."

"Er... Well, thanks but I'd rather keep it to myself," he replied.

Luna shrugged, then turned her eyes back to the sky. "Oh, look - Gemini!"

They watched the birds soar towards the sun, then Draco got to his feet. "See you, Luna."

"Bye," she smiled without taking her eyes off the sky.

* * *

As it turned out, Dean Thomas got himself exchanged with Seamus Finnegan, and Hermione took him aside as soon as he walked into the library that morning.

"I know it's awkward, but they're here to better themselves and it's just best that we leave them be," she said, referring to Draco and Pansy.

Seamus nodded. "As long as they stay away from me, I'll stay away from them."

"Thank you," Hermione said, then directed him a task.

Despite the terrible start, today was looking to be a good day; a box had arrived containing books that Hermione had requested from a huge wizard library in France, and she and Cho were happily arranging them on a repaired bookcase at the front of the library. It was the beginning of real progress, and though it was small, Hermione became encouraged that they just might be able to return the library to semi-functional status by the start of term.

She had no desire to deal with Ron for lunch, so she was relieved when Pansy offered to bring everyone lunch from the Great Hall so that they could continue working. She was still not used to the Slytherin girl behaving like an actual human being, and she had the feeling Pansy wasn't either, but either way, it was a welcome change.

Hermione was starved by the time Pansy had brought back the food, and her stomach had settled enough so that she could eat properly. It only took about five minutes for her to practically inhale the sandwiches and pumpkin juice, and she glanced about the room as she sighed in relief of feeling her strength return.

Cho, Seamus, and Chance were sitting close to each other as they ate, talking amongst themselves, and Pansy and Draco sat together opposite them, a large gap separating the two groups. Hermione noticed with a nagging annoyance how comfortable the two Slytherins appeared with one another, and her displeasure grew when Pansy reached up and wiped away a crumb from the corner of Draco's mouth.

Draco caught Hermione's narrow glare and grinned as he raised an eyebrow to her, and she immediately cast her eyes away. She really needed to work on not staring, she thought as she glanced over and saw Seamus, Cho, and Chance immediately avert their eyes from her as they whispered.

_Great_. No doubt, Chance was informing them of how he witnessed even more peculiar behavior the day prior, when Draco had fixed Hermione's hair for her and then proceeded to touch it in an affectionate fashion. She sighed and disappeared behind a pile of wood, and began transfiguring it into a large bookcase.

She was grumbling in her head angrily about Ron, Draco, and this morning's dream when Cho's hushed voice got her attention.

"Hermione?"

He turned and saw the raven-haired witch smiling sheepishly. "Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you, I just wanted to ask you... well, I've noticed some things lately, and..."

"Spit it out," Hermione snapped impatiently.

"Well... Malfoy seems to fancy you," Cho said, whispering the last two words.

"So what if he did?"

"I know it's none of my business, but I just thought -"

"You thought wrong. There's nothing going on. So you can tell Chance to keep his mouth shut and I'd appreciate it if you found someone else to gossip about."

Cho shrank away and Hermione gritted her teeth and stabbed her wand at the newly rebuilt suitcase, and it shattered into a pile of splintered wood. She cursed at herself for her apparent accidental burst of destructive magic, and stalked off towards her desk near the front of the room, scratching her left forearm absently.

She got back to work sifting through the half-destroyed books behind her desk, and the mild itching on her arm grew. She ignored it for awhile but then it started hurting a bit, like it used to when her scar was still healing. Furrowing her brows, she lifted her sleeve and peered down; the fading words felt like they should be bright red and raw the way it was paining her, but the scar looked the same as always.

Hermione sat confused for a moment before shrugging to herself and attempting to put the nagging pain out of her mind, not noticing that Draco was starting to scratch his right arm as well.

* * *

At dinner, Hermione sat extremely uncomfortably between Ginny and Ron, and focused all of her attention on the steak and kidney pie in front of her. Ron was just as rigid as she, and they refused to look at each other, let alone speak to one another. Ginny's eyes darted from Hermione and her brother to Draco and back again before she finally settled on Hermione, who was digging into her left arm with her nails.

"Blimey, Hermione, leave some skin," Ginny said with raised eyebrows.

"Ugh, I don't know what's wrong with my arm but it hurts and it - itches - so - bad," Hermione replied, emphasizing each word with another deep scratch.

"Is there a rash going around?"

"No, I don't think so - why?"

"Well," Ginny said quietly, "Malfoy seems to be having the same problem."

Hermione glanced at Draco and sure enough, he was scratching at his right arm with as much fervor as she had been scratching her left with. Hermione gave Ginny a confused look. "I don't think it's anything contagious... It only hurts where my scar is, and... oh!"

Hermione's eyes widened suddenly. "What?" Ginny asked.

"It's his scar, too," Hermione whispered. "But why would they be hurting us now? Mine hasn't hurt since it healed..."

Ginny thought for a moment, then a fearful look appeared on her face. "What if they're cursed? The scars? Something with Bellatrix's knife?"

Hermione felt a cold chill of fear pass through her. She swallowed and looked over at Draco, then stood and walked over to McGonagall.

Ten minutes later, Hermione and a confused looking Draco were sitting in the headmistress's office, avoiding the stares of all the portraits, and glancing sideways at one another as McGonagall surveyed them.

Hermione had just explained to the headmistress how she and Draco had received scars from the same woman, by the same knife, and that the scars were paining them both seemingly out of nowhere now. Draco seemed thoroughly disgruntled with McGonagall learning of his _coward_ scar, but he also looked slightly panicked over the idea of being under some kind of curse.

"And have there been any other strange things happening?" McGonagall asked, concern etched in her features. "Anything at all?"

Draco shook his head, but Hermione paused. "Well... I'm sure it couldn't have anything to do with this..."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Miss Granger," McGonagall said. "What is it?"

"Well... this morning I had this dream, and... you see, I have the same recurring nightmare every night. It's about Malfoy Manor and what happened there."

Draco sour look deepened, and McGongall gave a somber nod.

"But this time, instead of being me, I was Draco."

Draco's eyes snapped to hers instantly. "What?" he sputtered.

She cast a halfway glance at him then continued. "I saw everything from his perspective. I... felt things too," she said, not wanting to give details of what those feelings had been and thus reveal their history. "It seemed very real. Like I was recalling my own memory."

Something in McGonagall's eyes changed, and her fearful expression turned to a worried one. "How about you, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco was still staring intently at Hermione, and he muttered, "No, nothing besides the arm."

"Very well," McGonagall nodded, then strode to Severus Snape's portrait. "Severus, do you have any ideas?"

Draco didn't turn his eyes away from Hermione. "Tell me more about the dream," he whispered.

"I... I felt very scared and sick," she replied. "My wand - your wand - was burning in my hand. And all I wanted to do was use the killing curse on Bellatrix."

"How did it end?"

"I looked into a mirror and saw your face." She left out the part about how she had heard her own voice screaming in his head.

Draco looked as if he was completely blown away. "That's my nightmare. You had my nightmare."

"But... that's impossible..."

Draco gave her a look as if to say _no, you don't say?_ He then drew back back only because McGonagall had reappeared in front of them.

"Mr. Malfoy," the older witch said, "do you have any idea if your aunt kept her knife clean?"

This was about the last question either of them anticipated. "How would I know that? And what does it have to do with anything?"

The headmistress frowned. "It could have everything to do with this. I don't believe either of you are cursed. However," she added as the two students breathed in relief, "I think you may have some sort of blood bond between you two that was created by that knife."

Draco and Hermione stared blankly, each of them itching their arms absently. Eventually Draco spoke. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, I'm afraid I am," McGonagall sighed. "I cannot be sure, however. Very little is known about blood bonding in general - it's had very dire consequences for wizards who have attempted it. The bonds are created by the exchanging of blood between wizards, and a spell is used to seal the bond, that much I know."

Hermione's mind was racing at the speed of light. "But no spell was used..."

McGonagall nodded. "Indeed. And there would have had to have been residual blood on the blade when she used it to give you that scar, and that is why I asked if she kept it clean."

"I honestly have no idea," Draco said. "But, say she didn't, and we do have this... bond. What does it mean?"

"It means," said McGonagall, "that there will be a physical and mental connection between the two of you. I don't know to what extent, since it wasn't done properly, or sealed. But it would explain why you had his dream last night."

"Can it be reversed?" Hermione asked.

"To be perfectly honest, Miss Granger, I don't know. I will have to do some research and send a few owls. This is not a commonly studied subject."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, professor. But when you say that there are 'dire consequences' to blood bonds - what do you mean?"

The headmistress's eyes grew sad. "The act of blood bonding binds two lives together as closely as is magically possible. The two people bonded literally cannot live without one another, and if they are not in close enough proximity to one another, they will experience terrible pain. It is also said to allow the use of non-verbal communication - yes, Miss Granger, something like telepathy. And it allows magic to be shared freely with one another. However, if one dies, so will the other. It is also irreversible when done properly. You can imagine how the few wizards who have attempted this came to regret their decision."

"But," Draco said, leaning forward and looking more and more flustered, "we're in pain now and we're in close proximity. This didn't start until we were!"

"Again, Mr. Malfoy, there is much I'm not sure of when it comes to this. Perhaps the bond wishes to be sealed, and that is why your scars are hurting."

Hermione barely heard anything else after that. Her brain was still in hyper drive, and all she wanted to do was scour every last scrap of literature about blood bonds that she could get her hands on. She was hoping that against all odds, she could find something on the subject that had survived in the restricted section and only realized she had left McGonagall's office and was back in the corridor when Draco cursed very loudly as he stomped off.

She caught up with him quickly. "Wait - come to the library with me, help me look for something about all of this."

Draco stopped and looked at her like she was insane. "Are you joking? Anything about this would be in the restricted section, and that's been blown apart worse than any other section!"

"Well, we have to do something!" Hermione said a little hysterically.

Draco scowled and she saw that his face was flushed with anger, which wasn't the reaction she'd anticipated. Hermione felt scared and confused, but not angry. However, at the look on her face, Draco turned away for a moment and took a deep breath, then spoke. "We can look in the library at my home."

Hermione blinked. "Your... no, I can't..."

"I'm sure you never want to see that place again and frankly neither do I, but if you really want to research this blasted blood bonding rubbish, that's the place to look."

Hermione's thirst for knowledge waged war against her fear of returning to the place that had given birth to her nightmares, but she knew all along that really, it was no contest. For her, knowledge would always win.

"When can we go?"

"Tomorrow's Saturday, so we can go in the morning," Draco said, inwardly in disbelief that she was actually willing to accompany him to the Manor.

Hermione nodded. "Right then. I'll see you after breakfast."

Draco nodded back, and they stood awkwardly for a moment. "Just do me a favor and make sure you tell the Weasel that you're coming willingly. Not really in the mood to deal with him thinking I'm trying to kidnap you or something."

Hermione scoffed. "I don't particularly care what Ron thinks at the moment."

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, and if it was any other time, he would already be reveling in the idea of a rift between the two Gryffindors and probably making a suggestive comment to boot, but it seemed an inappropriate thing to do when you've just found out you may be accidentally and irreversibly bonded to the girl in question.

Hermione sighed. "See you tomorrow," she muttered, then stalked off. Draco watched her all the way, while the pain in his arm continued humming just under his skin.

**P.S: this won't be your average blood bond story! In fact, it's more of a sub-plot. More twists to come!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks as always for reviews/favorites/alerts! Nearly had to evacuate my house yesterday because of a 2500 acre wildfire burning close to us - we're only two miles outside of the evac zone. Eek!**

The next morning, after breakfast, Ginny and Harry sat open-mouthed in the Gryffindor common room after Hermione informed them of the previous night's events, and where she was headed today.

"I know," Hermione frowned. "Can you guys do me a favor though and tell Ron that I'm leaving the castle today and not to worry? I'd just really rather not tell him..."

"Tell me what?"

Hermione closed her eyes in despair but she didn't turn her head. Instead she waited for Ron to walk to her, which he did immediately. "Well?" he barked.

"Don't you talk to her like that," Ginny snapped.

"It's fine, Ginny," Hermione sighed. "Ron, I'm leaving the castle for a bit today. I'll be back tonight."

"Alright. Where are you going?"

"A library. There's some research I have to do."

"Funny," Ron said, "because I just heard Malfoy saying the same thing downstairs. Except he was talking about his family's library."

"Fascinating," Hermione shot back.

Ron scowled. "I'm not stupid, you know. I see the way he stares at you, and with the way he glares at me, it's not hard to put two and two together. Plus Dean told me -"

"Oh, do tell me what Dean told you!" Hermione half-yelled, getting to her feet. "Tell me about the latest gossip! Don't hold back, nobody else does - not even when they're right in front of me while they're supposed to be working!"

"Well, when were you going to tell me that he's been putting the moves on you?" Ron said, his voice getting louder. "Don't you think that's something I should know?"

"Maybe I would have told you, had you been honest with me about the Auror program! Don't you think that was something I should have known?"

Ron was momentarily speechless, and Hermione turned to leave, muttering, "Bye Harry, bye Ginny," but then Ron grabbed her already hurting left arm and spun her back around.

"Ow - Ron, let go!" Hermione shrieked, and Harry and Ginny both shot up and yanked Ron back.

Her arm felt like it was on fire and she rubbed it with her right hand, staring daggers at Ron. "I will go wherever I bloody please, whenever I please, and with whomever I please, Ronald Weasley," she spat. "And if that happens to be the Malfoys' library with Draco, then so be it!"

"Oh, 'Draco' it is, now, eh?" Ron grumbled.

"Yes, _Draco_," Hermione said calmly, "and if you have a problem with us being friends, you can shove off."

"Just go, Hermione," Harry said. "Ron's just being stupid."

Ron wheeled around, looking as if he were ready to yell _mutiny!,_and Hermione took the opportunity to quickly rush out of the room.

She stomped down the tower's stairs and into the corridors fuming, still clutching her aching arm. She knew Ron hadn't meant to hurt her, but still, he had been infuriating. It was too early in their relationship to be fighting like this, Hermione thought sadly, but it seemed it would be over soon anyway no matter what, due to his plans in London.

She exited the castle and walked as if she were off to visit Hagrid's hut, but she passed it up, and soon saw a bright blonde head in the distance, waiting for her, just at the border between Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts grounds.

When she caught up to Draco she was slightly out of breath, having walked what felt like several miles, but she kept her shoulders square and stepped beside the boy, who was clad in his usual immaculate dark suit.

"A bit overdressed just to go to your own home, wouldn't you say?" Hermione said. Draco turned his head and surveyed her.

She was dressed rather casual, in jeans and a loose fitted long sleeved top that she wore over a tank. "Better than underdressed," Draco retorted, and she rolled her eyes. "Still," he added, "you're beautiful as always."

Hermione's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull, but Draco merely grinned and grabbed her hand. Electricity shot up her arm and spread through her entire body, but the sensation was quickly replaced by familiar squeezing and pulling through nothingness, and then Hermione was standing at the wrought iron gates of one of the oldest and grandest wizard estates in Britain.

Hermione was so distracted by her inward steeling of herself at the sight of the Manor that it took her a moment before she glanced down and realized Draco was still holding her hand. She then remembered Draco's compliment from only a moment earlier, and she pulled her hand back quickly as a blush crept through her cheeks.

Draco walked to the gate and placed his palm flat against the gate, and a ripple appeared in the air where he touched the iron bars. Then the gates opened, and Draco motioned for Hermione to follow him.

She followed him across the perfectly manicured grounds, one side of her mind still flabbergasted that he had actually told her she was beautiful while the other was busy dreading walking inside the mansion. She walked just a step behind him, and a flash of bright white caught her eye from the midst of the vivid green grass that surrounded the path to the front door. "Is that -"

"A white peacock," Draco muttered. "My father. Don't ask."

Hermione stared at the gorgeous but somehow slightly unnerving bird, absently wishing that Luna was here to see such a creature, as she would surely get a thrill from it. Under the bright rays of the sun, Hermione could appreciate the beauty of the mansion and the land surrounding it, and knowing that there was no Bellatrix inside waiting for her, or any other Death Eaters, put her mind at ease a bit.

Hermione stared at the diamond-paned windows that surrounded the large front door and didn't notice that it swung open for Draco without so much as a touch. Draco stepped inside, and with only a second's hesitation, Hermione followed.

The door slammed behind them, and Draco muttered, "My mother's not here."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked.

He shrugged. "I didn't think she would be. She's running the company alone right now." Draco turned to Hermione then and asked, "Do you want a drink?"

She shook her head. "No, thanks. I really just want to get to work."

Draco nodded, then began to walk down the hallway. "The library's this way."

It wasn't long before they passed a large, open room to the right, and Hermione glanced inside and halted her footsteps. It was a vast drawing room that she knew well and visited nearly every night in her dreams, and it looked exactly as she remembered it.

Draco had a feeling this would happen. He took a few steps back and stood just behind Hermione, reaching out a hand to her but then withdrawing it quickly. After a moment he spoke. "Come on, Granger."

She nodded and turned away from the room. "Sorry, I just..."

"I know."

She shook her head. "How can you live here?"

"It's not easy. Not that Hogwarts is much better," Draco replied as they set off once more.

Hermione frowned and looked up at the many portraits mounted on the walls around them, each one containing a pale man or woman and most with blonde hair. They said nothing but their eyes narrowed on Hermione as she passed each one, and it wasn't until they were halfway to the library that one spoke, or rather, screamed.

"_Who let this filth into my house? Who dares allow this filthy mudblood to defile the noble house of my ancestors? How DARE she_ -"

"Shut _up_!" Draco screeched, and with an angry slash of his wand through the air, curtains fell over all of the portraits at once and tightened over them. He looked at Hermione as he lowered his wand and said quietly, "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," she replied. "Not my first experience with an angry portrait."

Just then, they turned a corner and found themselves standing at the entrance of an enormous room full of bookcases and surrounded by four walls that were covered from top to bottom in books. Hermione let her jaw unabashedly fall, and Draco grinned. "I imagine this is heaven on earth for you."

Hermione walked inside slowly and estimated the library to be easily as huge as the one at Hogwarts, and as she skimmed the titles of the books inside the nearest bookcase and recognized none of them, her confidence in their task boosted exponentially.

"Well," Hermione said with a small smile and a sparkle in her eyes, "let's get started."

ooo

For the next two hours, Hermione and Draco pored over books with promising titles - _Ancient Rituals and Curses_, _Rare Magic and How to Do It_, _Secrets Of The Darkest Rituals_ - but so far they had only come across what McGonagall had already told them about blood bonds.

Draco sighed and slammed another non-helpful book shut, then called, "Libby!"

Hermione jumped at the sound, having been completely lost in her own book, and then watched a tiny house elf appear with a crack. "Master Draco," the elf squeaked, "How can Libby serve you?"

"Can you bring us something for lunch, and a couple of butterbeers?" Draco asked in a surprisingly respectful tone. Hermione had imagined him to be quite like his father when it came to house elves - cruel and utterly uncaring.

"Of course, Master Draco, of course," Libby croaked before disappearing with another loud crack.

Draco didn't miss Hermione's curious look. "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing," she said. "Just surprised, is all."

"Surprised at what?"

"I would have expected you to behave like your father towards house elves."

Draco paused, opening another book. "We've had Libby since I was born."

Hermione nodded, not needing any further explanation. "How long did you have Dobby?"

Draco paused again, longer this time, as if he didn't want to answer. "We had him since I was little as well. Libby's his sister."

Hermione gasped. "Are you serious?"

"She doesn't know about what happened to Dobby," Draco said. "Don't say anything around her."

Hermione was about to argue that Libby had the right to know about her brother's death, but then the elf reappeared, clutching a tray of sandwiches and fruits along with two bottles of butterbeer.

"Thank you, Libby," Draco nodded to the elf as he took the tray.

"Of course, Master Draco," she squeaked. "Libby has missed Master Draco since he went back to Hogwarts. Libby wishes Master Draco would stay here at home."

Draco shifted uncomfortably and muttered, "Yes, well... thanks."

Then Libby smiled sadly and disappeared, and Hermione gave Draco a scolding look.

"What now?"

"She has the right to know what happened to her own brother," Hermione said, taking a sandwich from the tray. "It's not right to hide it from her."

"Look," Draco sighed after swallowing a bite of food, "she's very emotional - all female house elves are - and if she found out she would probably end up killing herself."

"All female house elves are _emotional_? So what? That's no reason to lie to her!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Spare me the bleeding heart speech, I beg you."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "You really are utterly infuriating."

"Just now figuring this out, are we?"

"No," she said, "but you've been more... bearable lately, at least in some ways."

Draco took a swig of butterbeer and didn't answer.

"You know everyone's gossiping about us at school, right? Because of the rather forward way you've been acting around me."

Draco shrugged. "And why should I care what a bunch of students have to say, who have nothing better to do with their pathetic lives than spread rumors?"

"Because I have a boyfriend and he doesn't exactly appreciate having to hear from his friends about how some other man fancies me, or plays with my hair, or stares at me like he's undressing me with his eyes!"

Draco grinned. "I like undressing you with my eyes. It's one of my favorite pastimes. Of course, I'd prefer to do it with my hands, but..."

Hermione blushed but tried to turn her expression angry. "Why are you acting like this? I'm not available, and even if I was, I don't know why you would want to go down that road again."

"You see," he said, ignoring the last few things she said, "the way I see it, you actually are fair game."

"'Fair game'?"

"Yes. Anyone with eyes can see that you're not crazy about the Weasel, and besides, with him running off to London in a few weeks anyway, there's not really much of a future there."

Hermione blinked. Had she really been the last to know about Ron's Auror plans?

"I know what you look like when you really fancy someone. Your cheeks get flushed and your eyes get darker, and you don't do that with him. I suspect that kissing him is rather like kissing a sibling. Or have I misjudged things?"

Well, she couldn't deny that he knew her rather well. "Ron's my best friend. We make sense."

"Maybe. But what we really want isn't always the same as what makes sense."

Hermione frowned and took a sip of her drink. "You still haven't answered my question."

"The answer should be fairly obvious."

"But why?" Hermione asked. "Things ended... terribly before. And I'm a mudblood, your family would never accept me."

"Mother would," Draco retorted cheerfully. "She knows all about us."

Hermione's eyes widened. "She does?"

Draco nodded. "She's made it clear she would perfectly happy to have you in the family."

... In the family? Hermione shook her head. "What about your father?"

Draco's grin faltered and his expression grew irritated. "I don't particularly care what my father would think."

Hermione doubted the truth of this statement, but said nothing. Draco had idolized his father most of his life, and never tried to hide it. But, she conceded, a lot had happened since those days. "Well, be that as it may, I'm still unavailable, so I would appreciate it if you would drop the flirting at school."

Draco's grin returned. "Where's the fun in that?"

Hermione sighed and opted to change the subject. "How's your arm?"

"Hasn't stopped hurting since yesterday," he replied.

"Same for me," Hermione muttered. "Ron grabbed it earlier and it felt like it was on fire..."

"What do you mean he grabbed your arm?"

"Oh," she quickly said, "it's nothing bad. We were arguing and he grabbed my arm, it wouldn't have hurt if not for the scar."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "A man has no business putting his hand on a woman when they're having a row, even my father knows that."

"I'm telling you the truth, it was nothing," Hermione assured him, somewhat enjoying the protective anger flickering in Draco's eyes. It was so strange to see his emotions do unrestrained, but his feelings looked good on him. "Have you had any... odd dreams? Like I did?"

He shook his head. "None that are out of the ordinary."

She nodded, then paused. "When I was having your dream... something odd happened. I - well, you - could hear what I was saying in my mind, after I was tortured. Did that really happen?"

Draco paused and his eyes grew distant, as if he was recalling the memory. He nodded very slightly. "Yes. I heard you."

Hermione looked down at her hands and rubbed at her aching scar. She was stunned that their blood bond had apparently taken effect so quickly that he had heard her internal screaming just seconds after being cut. Draco spoke before she could. "I thought I'd imagined it."

A part of her wanted to apologize - she could only imagine what it was like to hear "_I hate you!_" screamed at you in the shrillest voice possible every night along with the other horrors of that nightmare - but the part of her that still hadn't fully gotten over what happened kept her from doing so.

"Well," she muttered, "let's get back to work."

And work they did, sifting through books much like they did at Hogwarts every day. They didn't speak for a long time, and two hours passed before Hermione had to get up to peruse the shelves for more books. Draco stayed seated at the table as she browsed, and she began getting distracted by books of different subjects. There was so much history here and so much she wanted to read and devour, but with a great effort, she forced herself to focus back on looking for anything that may hold information about blood bonds.

Eventually she spotted the title _Blood and Its Many Mysteries_ on a very high shelf, and she rose to her tiptoes to try to grab it, but she was still just a bit too short. She brushed the edge of the spine with a finger and tried to nudge it out, but just as she was ready to give up, a hand enclosed upon hers and lowered it, then grabbed the book for her.

She could feel Draco's body brushing against hers from behind and she closed her eyes, trying hard to gather the strength to tell him to get away from her, but then his hand was sweeping her hair away from her shoulder, and warm lips were on her neck.

Her whole body came alive and she lost her breath at the sensation of the perfect, soft kisses he was lavishing on one of her most sensitive spots, and before she could realize what she was doing, her hand reached to tangle in his silky blonde locks. She was nowhere close to functional thought when Draco removed his lips from her neck and turned her around, the air thick with lust as their eyes met.

The hunger flashing in his silver eyes startled Hermione a bit and she began to come back to reality for a moment, but then he closed in and pressed his lips to hers and she was gone again. It was like being in sixth year and in the Room of Requirement with him all over again, like nothing had ever changed. He kissed her with just as much passion as he had then, if not more, and she felt alive again for the first time since the war ended. His tongue slipped in through her lips and teased her own, and in the back of her very happily blank mind she noted that this was how she wanted to be kissed forever, not sloppily and clumsily the way Ron did...

_Ron_.

Her eyes flew open and she grabbed Draco's shoulders and shoved him away from her, and he made the oddest whimpering sound at the loss of contact. "You," she panted, "will not make me a cheater."

His shoulders heaved as heavily as hers did with labored breaths, and his hair was mussed from where her fingers had twisted themselves into it. "It's not cheating when you never belonged to him in the first place," he retorted.

A very tiny, very Slytherin part of her mind agreed with this, especially since she had never truly stopped loving Draco or wanting him desperately. But the rest of her mind, the noble, loyal parts, took charge. "I won't do this to him. I won't, Draco."

"Fine," he said, "so tell him it's over. Tonight."

Hermione's eyes widened, but he continued without missing a beat. "You want me, Hermione. Just as badly as I want you. What's the point in trying to deny it, especially when we're probably going to be forced to be together anyway because of this blasted blood bond?"

Hearing him use her first name did funny things to Hermione, and she had to stop herself from attacking him. He was close to her again, nearly nose to nose, and that tiny Slytherin-ish part of her brain was getting louder and louder.

"You're beautiful," Draco said in a low voice , gently tracing her jaw with the back of a finger. "Doesn't he ever tell you that?"

She shook her head just barely, and her eyes flickered down to his lips, which were getting closer and closer to her own, and with a great, nearly impossible exercise in self control, she pushed him away once more and stepped away before he could pin her again. She looked to the book-covered desk and then back to Draco, absently rubbing her left arm when her eyes grew wide suddenly. "Is your scar hurting?"

"I - no, actually," Draco said, a puzzled expression growing on his face. "Do you think..."

"I have no idea," Hermione said. She looked around for the book that had been cast aside in favor of their kiss, and when she found it on the floor, she immediately grabbed it and rushed back to the desk and sat. Draco stood there watching her, smoothing his hair back down with a hand, wishing he could banish his rather excited feelings as quickly as she just had.

The book she had picked up ended up holding a few answers after all.

"There's a whole chapter on blood bonds," Hermione said excitedly, and didn't even protest when Draco pushed his chair beside hers and leaned in close to read with her.

They read an eighty page chapter in record time, and afterwards, Hermione leaned back in her chair, digesting what she had just read.

"So," Draco said, "sounds like our scars are hurting because we haven't sealed the bond."

"Right."

"And if we choose not to seal it, we will end up in excruciating pain that no potion will treat, plus potentially lose our magic."

Hermione nodded, staring ahead. "If we are to believe the book, yes."

The book had spoken of a witch and a wizard who had created an unintentional blood bond in the midst of a duel with one another. The two only found out later, when terrible pain had set in, but they despised one another so much that they refused to seal the bond and they ended up losing their magic and going half-mad from the physical symptoms.

"Well," Draco said, "let's find the spell to seal it, then."

Hermione slowly turned her head to him. "Just because we haven't found a way to undo it yet doesn't mean one doesn't exist."

"I'm not about to risk losing my magic and ending up a nutter in St. Mungos," Draco retorted.

"Draco - this is so incredibly serious. Once we seal the bond, we can never live apart. If one of us dies, even from natural causes, the other will die, too. Not to mention we'll never have privacy from each other because we'll be able to see inside each other's minds, regardless of Occlumency. Don't you want to find a way to avoid all of that?"

"It's not all bad. It also said we would share each other's magic and become more powerful. And to be honest, the mind connection sounds rather intriguing to me."

Hermione shook her head. "I refuse to do anything rash. We'll see what McGonagall's found out in a few days and go from there." She imagined telling Ron about the whole mess and grimaced. If there was no way around this bond, everyone would know soon, and she didn't want to even think about dealing with that.

"If the pain gets like the book described," Draco said, "I'm not going to be willing to wait around."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It took the wizards in the book months to get to that point. And anyway, it's worth a bit of pain to try to undo this."

Draco sat back and crossed his arms. She stared down unseeingly at the open book, shocked that this was all really happening. It was all do improbable - a bit of dried blood on Bellatrix's short blade creating a lifelong bond between Hermione and a boy she loved as much as she hated.

They sat for awhile, then agreed to head back to Hogwarts. Leaving the Manor was much easier than entering it, and Hermione made sure to avoid looking into the drawing room on their way out. They reached the Apparition point outside the gates and once again, Draco clasped Hermione's hand, then they barreled into nothingness and landed back at the border of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.

"Draco, before we go," Hermione said, still unthinkingly holding his hand, "just please do me a favor and keep all of this to yourself for awhile. It won't be easy telling Ron and I may need a few days to figure out how."

Draco nodded. "About what I said earlier, about us being forced to be together by this thing - I don't want you to feel forced into anything. If you chose to stay with the Weasel or anyone as equally dim-witted, then that is your choice, and we can figure out living arrangements so we can manage this."

This seemed to be an oddly generous offer, coming from Draco. "Thank you."

"That doesn't mean, of course, that I'm not going to do everything in my power to make you come to your senses and realize you can't resist me," he said with a grin.

Hermione shook her head yet couldn't help but grin back. "Who would have thought that Draco Malfoy would be saying these words to a dirty-blooded, bleeding heart Gryffindor. What would dear old Salazar Slytherin say?"

"And who would have thought that Gryffindor's little princess of the Golden Trio would snog an ex- Death Eater in his house while her weaselly little boyfriend sat at Hogwarts pining for her return!"

"I did not snog you!" Hermione said indignantly. "You kissed me!"

"Yes, but you kissed back," he smirked, "and not for just a second or two either."

"Don't try to make me out a cheater! I pushed you away," Hermione protested.

Draco shrugged. "Like I said, you were never really his to begin with, so you're free to kiss whomever you wish in my eyes. Though I'd prefer it would be me."

She shook her head with a small smile. "You're incorrigible."

He shrugged. "I'm a Slytherin. And we tend to get what we want."

Then Draco leaned in and placed a just barely unchaste kiss to her cheek, and lingered just long enough to make her squirm. When he pulled away he grinned at the blush warming her face, then set off towards the castle.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: as always, thanks for reviews/alerts/favorites... I love all of youz. **

A week later, Hermione escaped the Great Hall during breakfast and was sitting outside, two letters clutched in her hand. Everything caught up to her the moment she had read the letters, one from the British Ministry of Magic and the other from the Australian Ministry, each one bearing news, or the lack thereof, of no new leads on the whereabouts of her parents. The excitement that crept up when she had seen the owls drop the letters in front of her faded as soon as she read the first lines of the pieces of parchment, and everything she had been trying to deal with hit her in that moment.

Adding to the stress of her blood bond with Draco and the constant ache in her heart from not even knowing if her parents were alive or dead, she had told Ron the day after she returned from Malfoy Manor about the blood bond, and he hadn't taken it well.

She shook her head, recalling the ridiculous way that he'd acted about the whole thing. He had run the gamut of declaring that it had all been Draco's plan to create the bond to ranting about how wrong she was to not utterly despise him even more for this, to announcing that he would never, under any circumstance, live under the same roof as Draco Malfoy, whether it would physically kill her to live away from him or not, and that she had to choose between the two of them. When she pointed out that this was impossible without finding a way to undo the half-formed bond (and that it didn't look very promising that such a way existed), he had huffed and puffed and ranted and raved more until she finally yelled at him something along the lines of him being even more of a git than Draco had ever been. Ron had then suggested she go and take up with him, then, and she had retorted fine, maybe she would, since it wouldn't be the first time, and that was when all hell broke loose.

She hadn't spoken to Ron once since then, and he avoided her at all costs; Ginny was not on speaking terms with her brother either, of her own accord, and Harry was doing his best to try to play peacemaker, but Ron was adamant about staying mad and staying far away from Hermione. Now she couldn't wait for him to leave for London, but that was a whole month away. It all felt so unfair, since she had never asked for this bond, and Ron acted as if it was her fault. She decided that they never should have tried to be a couple in the first place, because right now, she needed all of her friends, and without him, there was a big gaping hole in her heart.

Draco hadn't helped matters, either. He had been far too happy about the news of their falling out, and Hermione had shrieked at him in the middle of a corridor that she was hurting and that his gloating was making it worse, not to mention if he really cared about her he would know that losing her best friend was not a laughing matter. Several people were witness to this event, and rumors were now running even more rampant throughout the castle. One day the story was that Ron had caught Hermione cheating with Draco in an empty classroom (as if she would ever do anything so crass), and the next day it would be no, Draco had put Hermione under the Imperius Curse for kicks and was using her to fulfill his physical needs against her will. The worst of it all was the fact that Ron did nothing to correct the rumors, not even the most outlandish of them.

McGonagall still hadn't gotten back to her and Draco about anything she had managed to find out about blood bonds, and all in all, it had been a horrendous week. The only good points of it were Harry, Ginny and Luna's unwavering loyalty, and the considerable progress being made in the library, even though Hermione was sure she was going to hex Seamus one of these days due to the dirty looks he had started shooting her all day, something else she knew she owed to Ron.

But, that morning as she sat on the stairs beneath the castle's huge open doors, she let it all consume her for a moment. Her arm was hurting worse now, and would hurt even more when she was near Draco during work and meals. They had barely spoken since her public outburst against him, but she had not missed how much worse he was being treated by many of the students. Before, they had ignored him and whispered about him when he wasn't around, but now they made no effort to hide their disdain. Pansy stayed close by him most of the day, as if to protect him from the dirty looks and ever-louder rumormongering.

Hermione was starting to miss him, and though she was now free of Ron, she still couldn't allow herself to truly consider Draco. She knew the feelings were there, strong as ever, but she was so sick of _feeling_ in general that she opted to try to just focus on getting her current problems sorted before even thinking about romance.

The sound of footsteps roused her, and Hermione glanced behind her and saw Draco, standing awkwardly, somewhere in between wanting to speak and being very happy saying nothing. She stared at him as if to tell him to spit it out, whatever he came to say.

"McGonagall wants to see us," Draco finally said.

"Oh. Good," Hermione said, her eyes lightening as she stood. "Let's go then."

"Wait," he said, standing in front of her and blocking her way. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. For behaving like a prat the other day."

Hermione shrugged. "You're not the only one who's been acting that way."

"The rumor today," Draco said, "is that I paid you to leave the Weasel, and you are considering my proposal in exchange for a small fortune."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh, though albeit somewhat angrily. "Yes, sounds just like something I'd do, doesn't it."

Draco shook his head. "Is your scar hurting worse right now?"

She nodded. "It's usually a dull ache, but when you're close it burns."

"Same for me," he said, pulling back the sleeve of his black silk shirt and frowning at the carved word marring his skin for a moment before dropping it and looking back at Hermione. "The dreams have started, too."

Her mouth hung open just slightly before she replied. "Have they?"

He nodded, and they looked at each other for a moment. There was an understanding in Draco's silver eyes that she hadn't seen before, and just as she was about to say something, another voice interrupted her.

"Well, look at the happy couple."

Draco turned and Hermione's eyes landed behind him on Ron, who was accompanied by Dean Thomas. "Sorry for interrupting," Ron said as his scowl deepened.

Hermione sighed and was about to snap at him before Draco beat her to it. "Shut it, Weasel."

"No, I don't think I will 'shut it'," Ron said, stepping closer to them.

"What do you want, Ron?" Hermione asked impatiently, her hand reaching to her back pocket where her wand was stashed.

"Well, I want to know what you see in this pathetic Death Eater, for one," Ron replied, "and what's wrong with you that you'd waste your time on him."

Draco clenched his jaw and stepped forward, ignoring Hermione's hand grabbing his and trying to pull him back. Ron saw this and raised his eyebrows. "That's sweet, Hermione. Holding hands with someone who let you get tortured almost to death."

"Ron, shut up," Hermione said with a bit more force, and Draco was quick to speak next. "Are you itching for a fight, Weasley?"

"Maybe I am," Ron said defiantly, and the boys stood nearly nose to nose.

"Be my guest," Draco snarled, and then Ron pulled out his wand. Hermione jumped forward and quickly cast a shield between them before either could do anything.

"Stop it, both of you!" she yelled. "Ron, you're being ridiculous, and Draco, don't give him the satisfaction of getting to you."

"Of course, I'm the one being ridiculous," Ron scoffed. "I don't even know who you are any more, Hermione. I hope he's worth losing your friends over."

"My true friends have stood by me, unlike you," Hermione retorted, on the verge of tears.

"Yeah," Ron growled, "well I never would have wasted my time with you if I'd known you were whoring around with this scum all sixth year."

The words cut deeply, and Hermione stood dumbfounded - she had never heard such spiteful words come out of Ron's mouth, except for when he had worn Voldemort's Horcrux around his neck when they were on the run. She knew him well enough that she recognized the instant shame that clouded Ron's eyes, but then there was a bang and Ron flew backwards and hit the ground with a loud thud. Hermione gasped and her eyes went to Draco's outstretched wand, and then in another split second, Dean had fired on Draco, but Draco deflected the hex with ease. Ron scrambled back to his feet, sputtering, "Filthy two-faced Death Eater," and wordlessly flicked his wand. Hermione jumped in the way to cast another shield but she wasn't quick enough, and Ron's curse hit her square in her eyes.

With a great cry of pain Hermione fell backwards and Draco caught her, and Ron looked on in horror as she clawed miserably at her eyes. Draco looked up at Ron and shouted, "What did you do to her?"

"I - I didn't mean - Conjunctivitis Curse," Ron stammered, watching huge tears fall from Hermione's red, swollen eyes.

"Worthless idiot," Draco grumbled, scooping Hermione up into his arms and making sure to hit Ron as hard as possible with his shoulder as he swept passed them. "You stay away from her, both of you!"

Draco marched off towards the hospital wing, muttering curse words in between soothing ones to Hermione, whose hands were covering her eyes as she continued to wail, and Draco made it to Madam Pomfrey's office in record time.

Luckily, there was a countercurse to the Conjunctivitis hex, and Madam Pomfrey performed it as soon as Draco barreled in and all but threw Hermione at her. The healer sat Hermione on a bed afterwards and hurried away to find a salve for her eyes to help with residual swelling, and though the pain was gone, Hermione continued to cry slightly hysterically.

Draco stood by her side awkwardly, highly uncomfortable in the presence of a crying woman, and his discomfort only grew when she started wailing on top of it.

"I can't believe him! I can't believe he'd say those things to me, and do this to me! I don't care if he was aiming for you, how _could_ he? He's always been terrible at curses, he probably would have hit me no matter what!"

Draco suppressed a grin and fell into a chair.

"I mean, we've only been friends practically our whole lives, what's that matter? Just because he thinks I wanted this stupid blood bond - who would want this?"

Madam Pomfrey reappeared and wordlessly dabbed some ointment around Hermione's still bright red eyes, then muttered, "Calm down, Miss Granger, or you'll cry this ointment away!"

Hermione nodded and sniffed a few times, then Pomfrey disappeared again. As soon as the healer left, Hermione began to cry again. "And, you know, it's not enough that I have no idea if my parents are alive or dead, or that now I have to deal with your nightmares as well as mine. No, on top of it all, I need my best friend to be acting like this."

Draco's eyes met hers and he said, "What about your parents?"

"I erased their memories and sent them to Australia last summer, and I have no idea where to find them, or if they're even alive."

Draco had known something was going on with her parents, but he'd never been able to piece together exactly what until now. An idea sprang up in his mind, but he was quickly distracted by a sudden angry voice inside his head, echoing everything that Hermione was saying out loud.

"Ron bloody knows everything I'm dealing with, but -"

"Blimey, Granger, can you not scream inside my head?" Draco interrupted, clutching the side of his head. "You're loud enough already!"

"I - what?"

"I can hear you thinking right now," Draco said, the voice in his head dissolving as quickly as it came. "Or, I could."

"Really?" she sniffed. "Can you hear anything now?"

Draco shook his head, and Hermione's expression went from angry and ranting to curious. They stared at each other for a moment before Ginny's voice made them both jump. "Hermione!"

The redhead ran through the doors towards Hermione, Harry close behind her. "What happened? I heard - well, I'm not really sure what I heard."

"I'm fine," Hermione sighed, wiping her eyes and catching the suspicious sideways glance Harry was shooting Draco.

"What happened to your eyes?" Ginny asked.

"Draco and I were about to go see McGonagall," Hermione said, "and Ron and Dean showed up. Ron said a few things and..."

"The idiot called her a whore," Draco interrupted, "so I hexed him. He tried to hex me back and he hit her instead."

Ginny and Harry's eyes grew huge and Ginny turned back to Hermione and shrieked, "He called you what?"

"I believe it was more along the lines of, he never would have wanted to date me if he knew I had 'whored around' with Draco sixth year."

Both of her friend's faces were now full of fury but Ginny was so flushed her skin nearly matched her hair. She cursed loudly and stormed out of the room, calling Ron several choice words and debating out loud which hex to get him back with, leaving Harry behind.

Hermione smirked. "That's not going to end well for him."

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hermione."

She sighed. "It was so strange. It was like he was wearing the Horcrux again."

"It's probably for the best that he's leaving," Harry said. "He needs to get himself together."

Then McGonagall appeared in the doorway. "Miss Granger! What in Merlin's name happened?"

The headmistress swept into the room and quickly glanced at Harry and Draco before standing at Hermione's side. "I'm alright," Hermione muttered, then launched into the story, but leaving out the details that would give away her and Draco's history.

When Hermione was finished, McGonagall looked wholly unimpressed. "I must confess, I expected better from Mr. Weasley. But I suppose we are lucky he didn't use a more serious curse."

Hermione nodded, and the headmistress continued. "However, I will deal with him later. I've found out a bit about your bond since we last spoke."

Hermione and Draco straightened, and Harry quietly nodded at Hermione and left to give them privacy. "I managed to find a couple in France who are blood bonded, and I travelled there to speak to them."

Hermione felt a swell of gratitude for McGonagall. The headmistress had so much going on and was incredibly busy with reconstruction, yet she had taken the time to travel out of the country to help them. "Their bond came about purposefully, unlike yours. They were very young at the time and created the bond when they married. They didn't have much to tell me that I didn't already suspect, however, they did tell me that the wizard who performed the spell to seal their bond once knew of two people who, like yourselves, created a bond unintentionally."

"What happened to them?" Hermione asked.

"They never sealed the bond, and they both died on the same day six months later."

Hermione sighed. "We did some research too, and read about one case of an unsealed bond that caused the two wizards to lose their magic and go insane."

"Did you find out if there's any way to reverse it?" Draco asked the headmistress.

McGonagall drew in a breath before shaking her head. "I'm afraid I have not. And the consequences of leaving this bond unsealed are far too dire to wait much longer."

Hermione inwardly agreed, though her face stayed neutral.

"I have learned the spell needed to seal the bond, and I will perform it for the two of you when you so choose. Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said as she turned to Draco, "It is your intention to finish your seventh year this term, correct?"

Draco nodded.

"Then we will need to discuss living arrangements," she said as she turned back to Hermione. "You have been chosen to be Head Girl this year. As you know, you will have your own private dormitory, but it is too far from the Slytherin dungeon - I'm afraid this bond means you must stay in relatively close proximity for periods as long as sleeping requires."

Hermione's smile at the news of being Head Girl faltered quickly. "But - you're saying we won't be able to spend eight hours that far away from each other?"

"The French couple," McGonagall sighed, "have found that if they spend longer than six hours apart, terrible pain begins to set in."

Hermione glanced at Draco and immediately became annoyed that he seemed rather okay with this news. "But it's against school rules for a boy and girl to share a dorm."

"Yes, well," McGonagall said, "I would say this warrants an exception. I will personally tend to your dormitory and transfigure it to accommodate Mr. Malfoy. Of course, I don't need to remind you that all of the other rules will remain in place and propriety must be maintained."

_Great_, Hermione groaned silently. Draco was going to enjoy this far too much.

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said.

McGonagall nodded. "I will leave you two to prepare for sealing your bond. I hope you both realize that your lives will never be the same, and you will have no choice but to coexist for the rest of your lives." She stared pointedly at Draco as she said this. He nodded. "Very well. I will tend to Mr. Weasley now."

Then she was gone, and Hermione stared at her feet while Draco studied his hands. Complete silence stretched for a few moments while they accepted the finality of the situation.

"So," Draco eventually said, "we're basically getting married."

Good Lord, Hermione thought. "Don't count on a honeymoon."

Draco scoffed, then got to his feet. "We'll see about that." He stretched out a hand to Hermione. "Come on, let's get to work."


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Ahh, the joys of living in Colorado! Got evacuated two days ago, now staying with in laws away from the fire. It tripled in size in one day, and from my window I could see houses on fire. Crazy! Almost forgot my laptop in the rush out of there, but I remembered just in time! Thanks for all of your reviews/favorites/alerts! I miss my house... sniff sniff... and my in laws suck lol... bah. **

Hermione was digging through her trunk, her mind lagging with its lack of sleep the night before, trying desperately to find something to wear but utterly unaware of what was appropriate attire for a blood bond sealing. It was July 31st, Harry's birthday, and also the day her blood bond with Draco would be completed.

"Blimey," came Ginny's voice from the doorway of their dorm, "this is odd behavior, coming from you."

Hermione sighed and sat back, eyeing her trunk defeatedly. "I'm overthinking everything."

"That's a bit less odd," Ginny said, sitting beside her friend. "But I doubt the occasion really calls for any specific type of clothing."

"Draco made the comment yesterday that it's like we're getting married, and it's gotten stuck in my head," Hermione grumbled, picking up a jumper from her trunk and tossing it away.

"Would you really be opposed to that being true?"

Hermione stared at Ginny. "What?"

"It's obvious you fancy him, and pretty strongly," Ginny shrugged. "I knew you were acting strange when he first came back to Hogwarts because nobody hates anyone that much without having other feelings for them as well."

"I had plenty of reason to hate him," Hermione protested. "I still do."

"I'm not arguing that. But you can't tell me there's not more there. You look at him in a way you've never looked at anyone else."

Hermione gave another great sigh and stared ahead sadly. "You must hate me."

"Don't be daft," Ginny scoffed. "I'm glad you ended it with Ron before either of you got in too deep. It's the best thing you could have done."

"I really tried. I always thought we would end up together. The theory of it was brilliant. But it felt like kissing my brother."

Ginny nodded. "You shouldn't feel obligated to be with anyone. You deserve to be happy. Like I said, I would be mad only if you led him on."

Hermione gave her amazingly understanding and unbiased friend a warm smile. "I wish Ron felt that way."

Ginny shrugged. "He'll come around. And after the Bat Bogey Hex I cast on him yesterday, his behavior should be improving rather quickly."

"Ginny!" Hermione smiled. "You're ruthless!"

Ginny grinned back. "With six brothers, you have to be."

"I suppose that's true," Hermione said.

"So, are you ready to be fully bonded to the ferret forever? I reckon sharing a dorm with him should be interesting."

Hermione grimaced and buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe this is happening. And I'm shocked McGonagall suggested it."

"Well what was she supposed to do, make you two stay in opposite ends of the castle and deal with the excruciating pain? I'm sure she's not happy about it. Can't imagine her being alright with the idea of Malfoy molesting her Head Girl every night."

"Ginny!" Hermione hissed, but Ginny merely laughed.

"He molests you at all three meals every day just with his eyes, so I don't know why you're so scandalized," giggled Ginny. "Seriously, I feel like I'm intruding on something extremely private just eating dinner."

Hermione groaned. "I was hoping it wasn't noticeable to anyone else."

"Well, seeing as I get the same look about every five minutes from Harry, it's quite recognizable for me," Ginny grinned. "I must say, I'm quite enjoying myself these days. And Harry is going to have a _fantastic_ birthday," she added suggestively.

"Oh, for God's sake, Ginny!" Hermione squealed. "I don't need to know these things!"

Ginny laughed for a moment, then said, "Incidentally, I was wondering... of course, it's none of my business, but, when you and Malfoy were having your secret torrid affair last year..." She raised her eyebrows pointedly and Hermione gasped.

"No, no, I never slept with him," Hermione quickly said, shaking her head emphatically.

"Really? All those nights in the Room of Requirement, and never once?"

Hermione continued to shake her head. "Never. He did ask once, however. But I wasn't ready. Don't repeat this," she said, "but, if Draco is to be believed, it would have been his first time as well."

Ginny's eyes bulged from their sockets. "You must be joking!" Hermione shook her head. "Draco Malfoy, that conceited git who was swooned over by every female Slytherin in the castle, a virgin? I don't believe it."

"He seemed rather angry about admitting it to me, so I tend to believe him," Hermione said. "Of course, I suppose he's probably done the deed by now."

"I don't know, I doubt he's had much opportunity in the past year," Ginny said. "Although Pansy Parkinson did slobber all over him during first term last year, before he left. It was quite sickening."

Hermione couldn't help the automatic narrowing of her eyes and nasty expression. Ginny didn't miss this. "If it helps at all, Hermione, he seemed as annoyed by it as everyone else."

"Hm? Oh, I don't care," Hermione quickly shrugged.

"Right," Ginny grinned, then looked to Hermione's trunk. "Why don't you wear that white summer dress of yours? It's lovely on you, and appropriate for the weather."

"A white dress?" Hermione asked incredulously. "After what Draco said about this being like a wedding?"

"If you don't choose something, you'll be late. It's just a dress. Here," Ginny said after fishing amongst her clothes and eventually finding the dress, tossing to Hermione. "Besides, it sort of is like a wedding. Can I be your maid of honor?"

Hermione threw the dress hard back at the cackling Ginny, though she couldn't help but laugh with her. Then she caught a glimpse of Ginny's wristwatch and gasped. "Bollocks, I am late!"

Hermione grabbed the white dress but then made a face and threw it back, grabbing the first one of her many long-sleeved tops and throwing it on over her tank and giving Ginny a quick hug before rushing out the door.

"It'll be alright," Ginny assured her when they pulled away.

Hermione nodded. "Thanks, Ginny."

Then she was off.

* * *

Hermione stood outside the headmistress' office, eyeing the gargoyle warily, and wrestling with the anxiety bubbling uncomfortably in her gut. She assumed Draco was already in there, and she felt foolish hesitating, but she couldn't really help it. Her life was about to change forever, partially in ways she expected and some she was sure she didn't yet.

Then she heard footsteps coming down the corridor, and she turned to see Draco strolling towards her, clad in his dark suit and striding with one hand in a pocket. He wore his blonde hair freely these days, having rejected the sleek look for a messier, devil may care look. It suited him better - much better, Hermione inwardly sighed - and she thought absently that at least she was going to be forever bonded to this gorgeous creature rather than some troll.

He took his place next to Hermione and nodded to her. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she replied, then turned to the gargoyle. "House United."

Then the gargoyle shifted and they stepped on to the small spiral staircase that appeared, staring forward in silence until they found themselves at McGonagall's door.

"Come in," she called before they even had the chance to knock, and they walked in with a quick glance to one another.

"Good morning," McGonagall said, rising from behind her desk and stepping forward. Draco and Hermione muttered their replies under their breaths, and McGonagall said, "Go on, have a seat while I finish my preparations."

They sat in the same two seats they had sat in when they had learned of their blood bond, and Draco kept his eyes far away from the many portraits watching them. Hermione looked at the largest portrait of all that sat directly behind the headmistress' desk, and she smiled at the twinkling blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore.

"Hello, Miss Granger," Dumbledorr said with a pleasant nod. "And Mr. Malfoy."

Hermione glanced over to Draco, who was now staring at his feet, his eyes suddenly distressed. She could only imagine what it was like to be warmly greeted by the portrait of a man you had once attempted to kill. "Hello, Professor," Hermione smiled back.

"Always remember my words, dear girl," Dumbledore said, and Hermione didn't have to ask what he was referring to. A year and a half ago, she and Harry had been sitting in those very same chairs, telling Dumbledore about how Hermione had discovered the Dark Mark upon Draco's arm, and of his mission to kill Dumbledore. The headmaster had assured them that he already knew of Draco's predicament, and after sending Harry away to fetch Snape, told Hermione something she had spent hours thinking over since.

"_I am a very old man and have seen many things in my life, and I have watched the rise and fall of many men. I have seen many great things, and many terrible things. I have studied both the Light and the Dark side of magic, and seen what happens when they collide. But the most powerful force in all the world, the very most crucial weapon in our arsenal, and the single most life-changing power of all is, and shall always be, love_."

Perhaps it was Legilimency that Dumbledore had used to draw the correct conclusion of Hermione and Draco's relationship; or maybe he had simply used his brilliant mind to put two and two together. It didn't matter anymore, but his words were as curious today as they were then.

Then McGonagall reappeared to Hermione's right, and asked, "Are you two ready?" They nodded their answer. "Come and follow me."

She had them stand in the middle of her office, facing one another. "You will need to grasp one another's arms while I perform the spell. It will not take more than a few moments."

They nodded and did as they were told, clutching on to both of one another's mid-forearms. It didn't escape her notice that under one hand was his scar from Bellatrix, and under her other was his Dark Mark. Hermione and Draco's eyes locked for a moment, and Hermione felt another burst of anxiety for what was about to happen.

"If you two are ready," McGonagall said, lifting her wand and pointing it towards their joined arms.

"Ready," Draco and Hermione both muttered at the same time, and their eyes locked once more.

McGonagall spoke a Latin incantation and then golden ribbons of light sprang from her wand and twirled around Draco and Hermione's hands and arms, encasing them in a swirling, dazzling display. Then the light enclosed on them and an incredible warmth entered both of them through their fingertips, then slowly spread through their hands and on through their whole bodies, as if the warmth was traveling along every last one of their veins and filling up every part of them. Their scars stopped hurting as soon as the warmth washed over the jagged carvings, and they watched as the golden light grew and expanded to surround them. Hermione could feel Draco's hands shaking as he clutched on to her, but then a new sensation got her attention. The warmth was now concentrated inside of her head, and it was nearly unpleasant for a moment as it grew to its peak, but then it slipped away, and the light retreated to their joined arms, and slowly extinguished.

For a moment they stood there, staring at one another, and McGonagall lowered her wand. "It is done."

Still staring at Draco, Hermione swallowed and spoke inside her mind. _Can you hear me?_

_Yes_, Draco thought in reply. They both seemed temporarily stunned, even though they had known this would happen. Their scars no longer hurt one bit.

"Are you both alright?" McGonagall asked, a bit concerned by the still joined at the hands students.

Hermione tore her eyes from Draco and looked at the older witch, then let go of Draco. "Yes, yes. Sorry."

McGonagall nodded. "Good luck to you both. I know this won't be easy. If I can be of any help at any time, do not hesitate to let me know. I must go tend to the castle, but feel free to spend a few more moments here if you wish." The headmistress then patted Hermione's shoulder as she walked away.

_Nosy blasted portraits_, Draco thought irritably as he looked around and realized they were being intently watched by all of the portraits except for Dumbledore and Severus Snape, who were both snoozing in their frames now, seemingly more considerate than the others.

"I think we need to lay a few ground rules for this," Hermione said seriously. "To make sure we can retain some kind of privacy."

She then felt a strange, nudging feeling in her mind, and then she heard Draco's non-verbal voice. _Blimey, I can feel your emotions too... and see what you're thinking about... like my hair this way, do you?_

"That's exactly what I mean!" Hermione exclaimed. "We can't shut our minds off to each other, so we need to respect when we want the other to stay out!"

_Fine, but_ -

"Would you talk out loud?"

"Why? What's the difference?"

Hermione frowned. "I don't know, I just... I'm just going to have to get used to this."

Draco nodded. "Try doing what I just did, try seeing my thoughts. It's fascinating."

"But how?"

Draco shrugged. "Just try."

Hermione frowned but focused on the idea of seeing his thoughts, surprised when she instantly could somehow feel and see what was on his mind. He was still slightly dazed from sealing the bond, very pleased with having access to Hermione's mind, and was currently appreciating the way her jeans hugged her body.

Hermione blushed and pulled back, unsure of how she had known how to enter or leave his mind at all. "Let's just agree to have some respect for each other's mental privacy, alright?"

"No problem." Draco looked around and added, "If you don't mind, I'll be leaving now... bloody prying eyes..."

"Fine, I need to head to Hogsmeade anyway," Hermione said, following Draco out of the room.

"I'll escort you," Draco grinned.

"To Hogsmeade?"

"Pansy and Blaise are headed out there today as well, so I'm going to join them. Get out of the castle for awhile."

"Oh," Hermione said as they reentered the outside corridor. "I don't know how long I'll be there today. I'm sure Ron will be there for Harry's party, so..."

"So what?"

"So, I don't want to cause problems on Harry's day. Last thing I want is to get in a row with Ron and ruin the whole day."

"Very noble," Draco scoffed.

Hermione sighed, and they spent most of the walk to Hogsmeade in silence. She tried to avoid hearing any of his thoughts but she couldn't always help it, and a few times she heard his father's name, but the thoughts would always fade before she could understand them.

When they entered the village, a group of students including Padma Patil, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan came into view, and all three of them turned and glared daggers at Draco and Hermione.

_Brilliant_, Hermione groaned inwardly, most disturbed by Padma's glare. Though they bunked together, Padma now seemed to be avoiding Hermione entirely and would stop talking mid-sentence when she walked into the room.

_Ignore the idiots_, she heard Draco's inner voice say, but behind it she felt the sting of his anger. She kept her eyes forward but her ears heard what they were saying.

"Some war hero, chumming around with the enemy," Padma sneered.

"Chumming around? More like _shagging_ the enemy," Dean snickered. "Got what she deserved from Weasley, I reckon."

Hermione heard Seamus laugh and she couldn't help it, she wheeled around and faced her disloyal friends. She heard Draco urging her voicelessly to keep walking but she simply couldn't. "What is wrong with you people?"

They seemed stunned that she had actually spoken to them and stared at her in silence. "Aren't you all sick of fighting? Was the war not enough for you?"

"Don't you talk to any of us about the war, Hermione," Padma said. "I lost my sister to one of his lot," she jabbed her finger towards Draco, "and yet here you are, prancing around with him as if he wasn't one of them."

"I lost people too," Hermione said through gritted teeth. "And none of you know a thing about what Draco went through. None of you could have walked in his shoes for a day and come out the other side alive."

Their jaws dropped, and Hermione herself seemed shocked by what she'd just said.

"Are you barking?" Dean shouted. "Do you even hear what you're saying?"

_Walk away, Hermione_. She ignored Draco's whispers in her head.

"I'm starting to think he really has Imperiused you, or that you've gone mad - which is it?"

"Maybe I've grown up and learned how to forgive, Dean. I don't want any more war. I'm done fighting. And none of you know what the year was like for him."

"Cry me a river!" Dean exclaimed. "You really expect any of us to feel sorry for this scum? Anything that happened to him, he deserved!"

Come on, Hermione. She ignored him again.

"Then you go on and believe whatever you wish, I really don't care. But I expected better from all of you. Including you, Seamus."

"And we all expected better from you," Padma seethed, "the perfect little war hero. Or were you helping him out, feeding him information all along?"

Hermione's mouth opened but then Draco stepped in front of her with his wand out. "I suggest you keep your pathetic mouth shut, Patil, and all of you walk away, now."

Padma and Seamus shrank back but Dean did not. "Oh, now the boyfriend comes to your rescue, Hermione? Very brave!"

Draco poked his wand into Dean's jaw. "Keep talking. I may as well live up to my reputation as a cruel Death Eater. You willing to try me?"

This time it was Hermione who spoke wordlessly. _Draco, don't. Please don't._

"I'm not afraid of you. Go ahead, show everyone who you really are!"

_Draco. Please. _

Draco snarled and shoved Dean into Padma and Seamus, then stomped away. Hermione quickly turned to follow him, and within seconds a burst of red light whooshed past her ear and hit Draco in the back.

He was knocked off his feet and fell face first into the road, and Hermione could swear that she felt the impact herself, as if the Stunning Spell had had hit her rather than Draco. She gasped at the pain but wheeled around, and saw Dean advancing, wand out.

_Expelliarmus!_ Hermione cried inside her mind as she thrust her wand towards Dean, and his wand flew from his hand and zoomed directly into Hermione's free one. She kept her own wand pointed on him. "Are you kidding me, Dean? Attacking him while his back was turned?"

"Give me back my wand, you stupid traitor-"

"Merlin's _beard_, what is going on here?"

Both Hermione and Dean's heads turned and they saw Professor Slughorn walking to them as fast as he could, a look of alarm on his large face. Hermione turned back to Dean and threw his wand back at him as hard as she could, striking him in the abdomen.

"Miss Granger, Mister Thomas," Slughorn wheezed, "What is the meaning of th - Mr. Malfoy?"

"He's fine," Hermione muttered, dropping to her knees at Draco's side and waving her wand over him wordlessly. He instantly stirred and pushed himself up, looking around confused for a moment before finding Hermione's face, then looking over at Dean in anger.

"Miss Granger?" Slughorn asked impatiently.

"I had a row with Dean and Malfoy pushed him," Hermione muttered. "And then Dean stupefied him as soon as his back was turned."

"Oh, come now, children," said Slughorn, "haven't we all been through enough? What could any of you possibly have to fight about?"

"Maybe," Dean shouted, "It's the fact that _he_ was allowed to come back to a school he helped destroy! How are any of us expected to tolerate him? I was held in his basement for weeks!"

"And I believe Miss Granger has a few horror stories of her own regarding the Malfoys, yet she appears to have the capability of accepting apologies and moving forward for the sake of unity," Slughorn said.

Dean scowled greatly but didn't fight as the professor took his arm and dragged him towards the castle. "Come on, Thomas - you too, Patil, Finnegan - I have a few stories I think you'd benefit from hearing.

Hermione sighed and turned to Draco, who was back on his feet and smoothing down his suit. He glanced at her a bit awkwardly and started walking again without a word. She followed, feeling the storm of anger that was raging inside of his mind but trying not to intrude. She imagined that waking up face down in the middle of Hogsmeade at the hands of Dean Thomas was nearly the height of humiliation for Draco, especially when it followed coming to the defense of Hermione in a row. But it wasn't his fault, and in fact, Hermione found it rather reprehensible that Dean would fire on someone while their back was turned.

Eventually they came upon the Three Broomsticks, and Hermione muttered, "This is my stop..."

Draco nodded and didn't stop walking.

Hermione frowned and walked inside the pub, completely unprepared for the huge swarm of people she found herself standing in the midst of. Apparently, Harry's birthday had become a national wizarding holiday, and seemingly every last resident of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts alike was crammed inside the building. She pushed her way through the crowd and eventually found Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna all seated together around a table, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hermione! We were starting to get worried," Harry smiled, standing and giving her a big hug when she got to the table. Hermione stole a glance at Ron, who glanced sheepishly at her before looking to his feet.

"Sorry, I got a bit... sidetracked," Hermione said, half-rolling her eyes when Ginny raised her eyebrows at her suggestively. "Happy birthday, Harry."

"Thanks," Harry grinned. Then Harry looked pointedly at Ron, as did Ginny, and though he still looked horribly uncomfortable and half-shamed, Ron sighed and stood up.

"Can I talk to you, Hermione?"

She was still rather angry after the previous day's events, but she crossed her arms and nodded anyway. "Yes."

She followed Ron to the most secluded corner they could find, and when Ron turned back to her he looked deeply saddened. "I'm really sorry about yesterday. I've been a right arse and I know it. I never meant to hex you like that, you know I'd never do that on purpose."

"I know that," Hermione sighed. "And I'm sorry too. I never meant to hurt you either."

Ron's frown deepened. "I just wish you had told me about you and Malfoy a long time ago. I mean, I was kind of the last to know."

"I know. I was scared of how you would react, and I just wanted to forget it all and move on."

Ron's eyes drifted to her arms and he muttered, "Ginny said that you were... er... sealing the bond today."

She nodded. "It's done."

"Bloody hell," Ron shook his head, "I wouldn't wish an unbreakable bond with that git on my worst enemy."

"Thanks, Ron."

"No, I'm just saying - I mean, doesn't that mean he can read your mind and stuff now?"

She nodded again. "And I his. It's a bit inconvenient, I'll admit."

They were silent for a moment before Ron spoke again. "Do you love him?"

"Ron..."

"I just want to know, Hermione."

She took a deep breath and paused before answering. "I care for him, yes. I have since sixth year and I doubt if I'll ever stop."

Ron seemed torn between being dumbfounded, a bit grossed out, and jealous. He opened his mouth to speak but Hermione spoke first. "I love you, Ron. I do. But not in the way I thought I did. And I'm sorry."

Ron looked down and nodded. "It's alright. I was kind of getting the feeling of that anyway. You never were fully there when you were with me."

Hermione frowned, disappointed with her apparent lack of acting skills. But at least it was all out in the open now, and there was hope for her and Ron's friendship. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to keep apologizing," Ron said. "I'm the one who nearly hexed out your eyeballs yesterday."

"And I'll have you know, that was truly excruciating," Hermione replied. "If I hadn't have been incapacitated I would have hexed your bits off without a second thought!"

"Well, Ginny nearly took care of that for you," Ron said with a small shudder. "I couldn't get those bats off my face for the life of me."

Hermione couldn't help but giggle a little. "Well, you did deserve it."

Ron held out his hand to her. "Friends again?"

She smiled and took his hand. "Friends again."

And although she could see the sadness in Ron's eyes and she knew he wanted more of her, the gaping hole that had opened when she thought she had lost him again was closed, and she felt a bit closer to being whole.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Yay, evacuations got lifted and I'm back in my lovely home! I started a new Dramione story while at the in laws, called The Point of No Return, which I posted yesterday and have decided to continue... I must be insane because now I'm really going to be spending all of my time writing lol. Anyway, pop on over and read it if you'd like, it's less tame than this one, and I have no clue where I'm gonna take the plot yet lol. But the plot to this story is inching ever closer! Thanks so much for all of your reviews/alerts/faves! :D**

Two weeks into August, reconstruction was still being done and a race against the clock began to bring the castle to full function by the time September came around. The Quidditch field was repaired, and the Great Hall and its famous enchanted ceiling were also nearly back to normal; classrooms were being repaired, and the volunteers' spirits were being lifted with every new bit of progress that was being made. The most discouraging aspect of the rebuilding effort was Ravenclaw Tower, which was still nowhere close to being repaired. Other arrangements were being made for the coming onslaught of Ravenclaw students, and all in all, the outlook on the castle was good.

Hermione had taken to working nearly all day and all night in the library, and her efforts were paying off. She now had a full row of bookshelves that were replenished, and new books were arriving nearly every other day from all around the world. Seamus Finnegan had decided to trade jobs with Hannah Abbot, and work was now more peaceful and devoid of any evil glares from disgruntled Gryffindors. Cho Chang was even seen chatting with Pansy Parkinson every so often as they worked, and Hermione and Draco had fallen into groove on their new unhidden friendship.

The sealed blood bond made things more interesting, but they were adjusting to it. Draco had learned how to push his own thoughts inside Hermione's head and was using it for his amusement; it was now a daily occurrence for Hermione to be completely engrossed in her work, barely conscious of anything except her books, then be suddenly assaulted by images of Draco doing various and sometimes unspeakably vulgar things to her. She would gasp or blush or squeak in response, usually dropping her books straight to the floor in her startled state, and Draco would laugh happily, while the others stared at them as if they were utterly mental.

Her Head Girl dormitory was still not finished, and Draco had taken to sleeping directly under Gryffindor Tower to ease the pain that would result from their lack of proximity to one another at night. Few others knew of the bond, and they preferred to keep it that way for now.

Hermione was still being shunned by some of her Gryffindor friends, as well as Ravenclaw Padma Patil, but she had reached the point of no longer caring. Dean Thomas had either elected to go home or got sent home following his altercation with Draco and Hermione, she never found out which, but she did not miss his presence. She and Ron were overly polite and cautious with each other, but they were getting better.

But one area that was not improving was Hermione's dreams, and though Draco didn't speak of his often, she knew they couldn't be much better. Her nights were muddled with a blend of her own nightmares as well as Draco's, and it was one early morning in mid-August when she experienced the worst transplanted nightmare yet.

She was in Draco's body, standing in between his parents in the same drawing room in Malfoy Manor that most of her nightmares took place in, and paralyzing fear was coursing sickeningly from her head to her toes. She wasn't sure she had ever felt fear like this before, even during the heights of the war, and she instantly knew that she was reliving Draco's memories of the night she had been tortured and had subsequently escaped from the Manor.

Wormtail was dead on the floor in front of her, his silver hand still clamped on his throat, and Nagini was slithering about lazily. She kept her head down and her eyes low, trying desperately hard not to shake, and the feel of a soft hand just barely touching her own nearly made her scream in fear.

But it was only Narcissa, who was undoubtedly just as terrified but wore an incredible mask of control as she tried to comfort her son in the least visible way possible. Hermione felt another surge of fear, this time for her - Draco's - mother, and an incredible love from the very bottom of her heart for the woman.

"_Weak... pathetic... disgraceful... I am ashamed to call every one of you my servants_," hissed the high, cold voice that she hated so badly, and another wave of fear hit Hermione like a brick wall. She couldn't breathe and she now couldn't hide the fact that her entire body was shaking violently.

Next to Narcissa, Bellatrix could be heard whimpering in fear, and Nagini continued to slither back and forth in front them, surveying the line of servants awaiting their punishment.

"_You_," Voldemort whispered, and Bellatrix fell to her knees with a great shriek of pain. "_My most faithful servant. I especially expect more from you._"

Then the Dark Lord was closer, and Hermione's heart thumped horribly in her chest as the rest of her body went utterly cold and dry. She closed her eyes tightly and inside her mind she chanted_, please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me_...

"_I confess myself unsure of which one of you is the most useless... is it the father_," Voldemort flicked his wand and Lucius fell with a horrible cry of pain, "_or is it the son_?"

Then Voldemort flicked his wand again and Hermione fell to the floor, a wave of debilitating pain crashing through her every nerve as she screamed with Draco's voice. When the pain subsided and she tried to catch her breath against the hard floor, the voice said. "I think I need to give your dear parents a taste of what will come, should they fail again." Then she was yanked up into the air by an invisible force and became suspended in midair, and then there was another wave of terrible pain. She cried out but her voice was incredibly loud, and only vaguely did she realize that Voldemort had amplified her screams. Then, on top of the Cruciatus Curse she was already writhing under, something sharp and hot struck her in the back.

Then it struck her again, and again, and again. Narcissa screamed out for her son but Voldemort quickly struck her with the thing, which Hermione opened her eyes long enough to recognize as some kind of serrated whip that was flowing from the tip of the Dark Lord's wand. He struck Narcissa with it three times across her chest, and when Lucius began to scream for his family, Voldemort struck him across the face with the deadly whip.

Hermione felt hot, sticky blood pouring from the wounds on her back but now anger was taking the edge off of the pain as she watched Narcissa grabbing at her bleeding chest helplessly. She felt herself becoming heated with her anger, it filled her to the brim, and she was sure that in just a moment, her rage would explode into magic and maybe, just maybe, she could kill her family's attacker with the sheer force of her wild magic...

But then she heard the crack of the whip again and felt it open up another gash in her back, then her leg, then across her abdomen, and on and on. Draco's agonized voice erupted wildly from her lips, and it was the worst sound she had ever heard in her life. Then a long-fingered hand grabbed her by the hair on the back of her head and threw her to the floor, and the impact shattered her nose.

"_Next time... you will watch as I kill him. Slowly. Then I will kill both of you. As for you, Bellatrix_..."

The air became full of Bellatrix's blood curdling screams, but Hermione didn't care as she lay face down on the floor, blood spilling from all over her body as darkness crept upon her. She tried to will herself to stay awake, to just turn her head and open her eyes to make sure her parents were alright, but she could not. The moment she passed out was the moment she awoke from the nightmare.

Hermione bolted upright in bed and gasped. Her shirt was soaked in sweat and she was crying, almost still able to feel the unspeakable pain she had just experienced. She shook violently and fought the urge to vomit as she scrambled out of her bed, her mind clear on where it wanted her feet to take her.

She ran out of the portrait hole in the Gryffindor common room and descended down the tower, and soon she was storming inside the empty classroom Draco had turned into a makeshift bedroom. He awoke as soon as she stumbled in the room, sitting up in his transfigured bed in the middle of the room with an alarmed look on his face. "Her - Hermione? Is that you?"

"Draco," she choked out, tears still flowing from her eyes as she unthinkingly threw herself at him and hugged him fiercely.

Thoroughly confused, Draco reluctantly put one arm around her and glanced at the large clock on the wall across him. It was 3 AM. "What happened? What's wrong with you?"

She pulled away and blubbered through her tears, "I d-dreamed about you getting p-punished by Voldemort after we escaped, and it was so terrible, Draco, I'm so sorry..."

Draco stiffened for a moment at the thought of her reliving that particular memory of his, but then she threw herself at him again. He put both of his arms around her this time and muttered, "Just forget about it, Hermione."

"I can't," she answered weakly. "I don't think I ever will."

He held her for awhile like that, with her head on his shoulder, while he absently ran his fingers through her frizzed and matted from sleep hair. It was strange but he didn't protest, since the feel of her clutching him so tightly felt better than anything in recent memory.

"I'm sorry," Hermione eventually muttered into his shoulder. "You must think I'm crazy for barging in here like this."

"Have you heard me complain?"

She smiled ever so slightly. "I just... I imagined something like that when I saw your scars, but it was so much worse than I thought..."

Draco really didn't like people feeling sorry for him, even Hermione. "Just... forget about it, like I said."

Then she pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I can't! Can you forget about what you saw happen to me?"

"That's different," Draco muttered.

Something clicked then, and Hermione realized how remarkable it was that the dream she had just experienced was not the one that haunted him every night. Instead, he agonized over watching _her_ suffer, and relived the horror of _her_ pain, rather than his own. This, more than anything else in their history together, confirmed to Hermione the true extent of his feelings for her.

She was half sitting on the bed and half sitting on his lap, but this did not bother her as she reached a hand to his face. She touched his cheek and felt a familiar feeling reigniting inside, and she curiously didn't feel the need to fight it at this moment. Draco was watching her intently, but a little confusedly, and all it took was his eyes to flickering down to her lips for her to throw caution to the wind and kiss him.

She felt his surprise but he quickly recovered and returned her kiss with enthusiasm, shifting her so that she was completely in his lap and pulling her so that they were as close as physically possible. Her heart was performing gymnastics and her whole body sprung to life once more at being in his arms, like she always did only for him, and this time they experienced the added sensations of their minds joining together.

They felt everything that the other was feeling, and it was nearly too much to handle - it was like passion gone nuclear, and they pulled apart panting after just a moment.

"My God," Hermione breathed. Then Draco grinned and she was on him again, this time pushing him down to his back and taking charge herself. Her wild hair fanned out around his face and tickled his eyes but this seemed to only drive him wilder. His hand tangled in that mess of hair as she trailed kisses to his neck, and his small throaty groans that resulted gave her dangerous feelings throughout her body.

As much as he loved it he could only take so much of her having control, and she let out a small gasp as he flipped her over and covered her body with his. His tongue gently slipped through her lips and teased her own, and his one hand roamed down her pajama-clad leg while the other supported his weight. He felt amazing on top of her, she admitted in her mind, and then she felt his lips form a smirk against her mouth.

"Stay out of my head," she said between kisses.

"I can't," he replied, moving to her neck.

Hermione's eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head while he ravaged her sensitive neck with kisses, and she didn't even stop him when she felt soft fingertips creeping up the front of her shirt.

"You're beautiful," Draco groaned, nipping her ear lobe with his teeth. His left hand moved from underneath her shirt to cradle the right side of her face, and Hermione pressed a kiss to his Dark Mark.

Draco froze and slowly lifted his head. Their eyes locked and Hermione's grew wide quickly. "I'm sorry - that was weird, wasn't it? I'm sorry," she stammered.

Draco shook his head. "No, no, I just... I don't really know, honestly..."

Hermione took his left arm in her hands and pressed a kiss to the fading ink once more. "I forgive you, Draco. I forgive you for everything."

She meant it, too. She hadn't truly forgiven him until then, even though he had asked for her forgiveness weeks ago; every time she would get close, her nightmares would dredge up the bitterness and anger she had harbored against him and she would come just short of it. But now, after seeing through his eyes what he had gone through, the grudge was gone, and she couldn't find a trace of anger in her heart.

The heat of the moment was still there, but the air had sobered a bit. Draco gave her a soft, grateful kiss, and then said as they looked into one another's eyes, "Thank you."

Hermione then sat up, and they looked at each other for a moment, still just a breath apart, seemingly taking one another in fully.

"I don't want to leave," Hermione finally said.

"Then don't," he grinned.

She gave a small smile. "If... we did do this again," she said, "it has to be different. I'm done keeping secrets."

"As am I," Draco said.

"You're sure?"

"Do you really think I would be able to take one day in this castle if I really cared what anyone thought of me?"

Hermione paused. "Well, you do get rather angry when someone gives you a hard time. Like Dean or Ron."

"Being pissed off and caring are two different things," Draco said. "And I only got as angry as I did because they were insulting you."

"The protective sort, are we?" Hermione grinned.

Draco didn't return her smile, however. "Shouldn't be a surprise after I saved your life when Greyback was about to have you for dinner last year."

She shivered slightly and involuntarily at the memory. "Yes, you're right. I really should go, though - if Ginny or Luna wakes up and I'm not there -"

" - They'll survive," Draco finished, pulling her to his chest once more and silencing her with a kiss.

She smiled as she kissed him back and buried her fingers in his blonde hair, and pulled away only when he hands wandered down to her rear. "I'm serious, I really shouldn't stay he-"

Then she was suddenly on her back once more, and Draco was hovering over her and holding her still by her wrists. "Do you really think I'm going to let you go that easily now that I've finally got you in my bed?"

She bit her lip. "Maybe?"

He growled and kissed her roughly, and didn't let her leave for another hour.

Hermione's hair was possibly the largest and wildest it had ever been in her life as she crept back to Gryffindor Tower at 4 AM that morning, and to her shock, she bumped into another figure just outside the portrait hole.

"Good Lord!"

"What the-"

"Ginny? Is that you?"

"Hermione? What are you doing out of bed this late?"

"Me? What about you?"

"I was just -"

"Oh, would you little pests just get inside already," said a half-snoozing Fat Lady as she swung open without a password.

The two girls shuffled into their dorm and climbed into their beds, both simultaneously casting silencing charms. "Alright, where were you?" Ginny asked once the charms were in place.

"I was... Oh, Ginny, where do you really think I was?"

Ginny grinned. "Late night rendezvous with your bloke?"

Hermione blushed furiously as her mind flickered back to the last hour.

"Yes, I suppose he sort of is my bloke as of forty five minutes ago."

"What happened forty five minutes ago?"

"Well, you see, I had this dream and... wait, you still haven't told me what you were doing! You were still asleep when I left!"

Ginny blushed a bit herself. "I woke up and saw that you were gone, so I went down to the common room to check if you were there but found Harry instead... we went to look for you but got a bit... sidetracked."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Nice to see how quickly you decided to give up your search."

"Well, I figured you were with the git," Ginny shrugged. "Looks like I was right. I'm assuming he's responsible for the state of your hair."

"Er... well... yes."

"Forgive me, Hermione, but you look like you just had a particularly good shag."

Hermione's eyes widened. "I do not!"

"But did you?"

"No! Did you?"

Ginny smiled. "That's not relevant at the moment."

Hermione scrunched up her face at the thought of two of her closest friends doing the nasty and muttered, "Never mind, I don't want to know. But no, I did not just get done 'shagging' Draco Malfoy."

"But something beyond snogging must have happened. Look at your face - I don't think it's ever been so red!"

Hermione smiled but grimaced at the same time. "For God's sake, Ginny..."

"Ha! I knew it," Ginny laughed. "It's alright, you don't have to give me details. But whatever happened, it must have been bloody good."

Hermione was torn between not wanting to breathe another word of it and wanting desperately to scream it out - it was an odd feeling and she compromised by all but spitting out, "It was bloody amazing and I think I may die if we go all the way."

Ginny had a good laugh about that. "Oh my, Hermione's on her way to becoming a woman!"

Hermione groaned and threw herself down on her back and swung an arm over her eyes, muttering curses and trying not to let her mind drift back to Draco or his hands, or lips, or anything about him, but her thoughts were consumed by the memories they had just created. "This is so embarrassing."

"It shouldn't be," Ginny said. "I think we all deserve a good bit of fooling around. Even if you choose to do so with a ferret."

Hermione chuckled and moved her arm from her face. "Apparently we're a couple now."

"Public this time?" Ginny asked, and Hermione nodded. "Wow. His Mummy and Daddy shouldn't be too happy with the news."

"Mummy already knows," Hermione said. "Apparently she's had a change of heart and no longer considers me scum."

"Well," Ginny said, "That's good news. Nobody wants a monster-in-law."

"So now we're getting married?" Hermione laughed.

Ginny smiled. "I'm just saying - if you did, those would have been the worst in laws imaginable."

"Well, Draco's not on speaking terms with his father. He has these angry thoughts about him all the time but I can't quite decipher them."

"Quite understandable, though. Rumor has it that he's working on a deal to get released from Azkaban," Ginny said. "I asked my dad and he wouldn't say one way or the other but I could tell he wasn't happy. So I assume it's true."

Hermione considered the implications of that. What would a free Lucius Malfoy mean for her soon-to-be public relationship with Draco?

Hermione and Ginny chatted a bit longer before falling back to sleep for a few hours, and by the time 7:30 rolled around, they unenthusiastically awoke and were the last two Gryffindors to leave their dorms.

"I'm alright with going on less sleep if it means having more nights like last night," Ginny yawned with a smile as they crawled out of the portrait hole.

"Ugh, Ginny, I get the worst mental images when you say things like that -" Hermione was cut off at the sight of Draco, standing a few feet before her at the top of the staircase with his hands in his pockets and looking at her expectantly. Hermione instantly blushed at the sight of him and a rush of memories involving his hands and mouth flooded her mind, and she could have sworn she saw a similar reaction within Draco's eyes.

Ginny glanced at Hermione and then walked on, nodding to Draco. "Malfoy."

"Weasley."

Ginny cast one more high-eyebrowed glance at Hermione as she descended the stairs, and Hermione hid a smile. "Morning, Draco."

"Still want to do this?" he asked.

"Do what?"

"Do you still want to be with me," he drawled impatiently.

"Oh. Yes, nothing's changed since four hours ago."

"Good," Draco said, extending his right hand to her. "Let's go, then."

With only half a second's worth of hesitance, Hermione took Draco's hand, and together they walked to the Great Hall. She couldn't deny that she was nervous of what kind of reaction they would receive, but half of the castle's occupants already thought they were a couple, so really, she assured herself, it shouldn't be too bad.

When they entered the hall, still clutching hands, the stares and whispers began instantly. Hermione tried to ignore it and led Draco to her usual spot at the table between Ginny and Ron.

"I don't want to sit next to the Weasel," Draco hissed, but Hermione quickly nudged him in his ribs.

With the entire table nearly silent and all eyes on them, Hermione sat down beside Ginny, and gave Ron a pointed look that said scoot down. He complied, albeit disgruntledly, and Draco sat down between two people who, next to Potter, used to be the banes of his existence.

Ginny smiled at her friend while Harry looked about the table, surveying the others. The staff looked bewildered, but McGonagall looked oddly unsurprised. Blaise Zabini was stoic as ever, while Pansy Parkinson seemed torn between a smile and a frown. Neville looked a little concerned but Luna was beaming at the new couple. Cho Chang was smiling to her friends as if to say see, I told you so. Padma Patil and Seamus Finnegan looked repulsed. Even a few ghosts, including Nearly Headless Nick, were talking amongst themselves and watching the scene. Apparently, it was big news when a Gryffindor war hero and a Slytherin former Death Eater stepped out together.

"Good morning Hermione, Draco," Luna smiled.

"Good morning," Hermione replied with a smile, while Draco nodded to the little blonde witch.

"I hope all of the gossip stops now. I've been getting rather tired of all the speculation on the nature of your relationship. Personally, I think you are a brilliant match."

Draco shifted a bit uncomfortably, but Hermione smiled warmly at her friend. "Thanks, Luna. Your support means a lot. It always has."

Then owls began swooping over the table, and a letter fell directly on to Draco's plate of eggs. Hermione looked away as he opened the letter, trying not to appear nosy, and busied herself with trying not to be disappointed with her own lack of mail. Every day when the owls arrived, she would hope desperately for the arrival of the letter she was waiting for - the one that would inform her of her parents' whereabouts and allow her to reach them and restore their memories. But every day she didn't receive that letter was another day she became more discouraged and fearful.

Whatever was in Draco's letter seemed to make him quite happy, and he finished his breakfast silently but cheerfully. Ron looked the most uncomfortable he had ever been in his entire life, being stuck sitting next to Draco, and Hermione was amused by his stiff expression when McGonagall got to her feet at the head of the table and cleared her throat.

"If I could have everyone's attention for a few moments, I have an announcement," the headmistress said, and the table quickly fell silent. "As all of you know, in a few weeks term will begin, and I am very impressed with the progress that has been made on reconstruction. I thank all of you for your hard work and commitment to our school. Now, on the day that term begins, we will also be hosting a number of our international allies who have expressed their wishes to visit the castle as well as its inhabitants. Quite a few officials from foreign Ministries of Magic will be here, as well as some staff and students of several other wizarding schools. I have decided to take this opportunity to allow us all a bit of a celebration before we all get consumed by the school year - especially considering most of us were, and still are, far too somber to properly celebrate the end of the war. So, in addition to the traditional great start-of-term feast, we shall be hosting a ball."

Whispers began amongst the students immediately, some of them looking excited, like Cho Chang and Ginny, and some looking rather dour, like Pansy Parkinson.

"Now, I understand this is short notice, so everyone is welcomed to take a trip to Diagon Alley for dress robes this weekend if need be - I would imagine many of you need school supplies as well. I hope all of you will take this opportunity to enjoy yourselves and partake in a bit of frivolity - I'm sure we can all agree that it is much deserved."

Hermione groaned a bit and glanced at Ginny, who looked quite happy. Harry seemed more neutral, and Hermione looked to her left and saw that Draco was rolling his eyes. "I don't have anything to wear - will you go to Diagon Alley with me, Hermione?" Ginny asked happily.

"Yes, I suppose I'll need to find something as well... though I'd much rather skip the ball entirely..."

"Oh, Hermione - don't you think she's right, and we deserve a little bit of a party?" Ginny chided.

"Sure, but... I don't know. Seems like nothing good ever comes of these things," Hermione shrugged.

"Well, things are different now. Hopefully all the drama's behind us. God knows we've had enough for several lifetimes."

Hermione nodded and glanced at Draco again. A grin had crept up on his lips. "Fancy being my date, Miss Granger?"

Ron made a choking noise at this but Hermione smiled. "Why yes, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco smirked and threw an arm around her shoulders, causing her to blush and many of their peers to openly gawk at them. Harry looked on and shook his head just slightly, but with a small smile, as if to say _yep, the world's officially gone mad_. Draco glanced at Blaise, and the darker man looked at him much the way Harry had.

Draco couldn't help the smirk that his lips twisted into. Going public felt good, and he was amused by all of the various reactions he and Hermione were garnering, but in the back of his mind he remembered his father's probable impending release, and his cheerfulness dissolved into anger and dread.


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks as always for reviews/alerts/faves! You guys are the best :D**

"I don't think I want to wear dress robes," Hermione said as she walked through Diagon Alley with Ginny and Luna. "It's really too hot. I think I'll go for a regular dress."

"I was thinking the same thing," Ginny said. "I've never much fancied wearing curtains as formal wear. How about you, Luna?"

"Oh, I'm happy either way, so long as what I'm wearing isn't full of Nargles," Luna smiled.

Hermione grinned. "Alright, let's try this shop," she suggested, leading the girls into a store called Madam Rose's Formal Event Attire. The store had one side full of traditional wizarding wear, while the other side was more Muggle-influenced. They walked to the latter side and began to browse, chatting happily until they ran into Padma Patil and a few of her Ravenclaw friends behind a rack of silk dresses. Padma gave all three of them a scathing look before exiting the store with her friends, muttering various insults under her breath all the while.

"Cow," Ginny spat as she shook her head. "I get that she lost a sister. I lost my brother but you don't see me walking around like that."

"She's stopped speaking to me, too," Luna said. "I don't really mind. She never said one word to me before we joined Dumbledore's Army."

Hermione looked a bit guilty as she began to look through racks of dresses again. She'd never spoken to Luna before fifth year either.

Eventually the three girls acquired armfuls of dresses to try on, and they disappeared inside the fitting rooms. Ginny and Luna liked the dresses they tried on first the best - a fiery red number for Ginny, and a pretty pale yellow one for Luna - but Hermione didn't like any of hers. So Ginny walked around the store and picked out a few new ones for her to try, ever the helpful friend.

It was getting close to dinner time by the time Hermione got to the last dress Ginny picked, and she was quite ready to wear a paper sack to the blasted ball at this point, just to be done with shopping.

"This one's no good either," Hermione moaned from inside the fitting room.

"Come out and show us, I refuse to believe it!" Ginny said. "The violet one looked lovely on you, by the way, so I don't know what's wrong with y-"

Hermione stepped out with her shoulders slumped, and Ginny's jaw dropped. Luna's eyes widened and she half-sang "Oooooh!"

The dress was silk, one-shouldered and was well-fitted all the way down to the knees where it flowed into a trumpet-like skirt and small train. It also happened to be a deep emerald color.

"That... is... amazing on you," Ginny gasped.

Hermione grimaced. "No, it looks strange on me. This color..."

"... Will drive Malfoy wild," Ginny grinned.

Hermione grinned a little back but turned towards a mirror and surveyed herself unenthusiastically. "I don't know..."

"Nonsense, you're buying it," Ginny said decisively. "I will look positively dumpy next to you in this."

"You're barking," Hermione smiled.

"No, she's right," Luna said. "It is rather amazing on you."

"See? That settles it," Ginny announced.

"Fine, anything to be done with shopping," Hermione conceded, re-entering the dressing room. She was hot, hungry, thirsty, and tired, plus she was eager to get back to the castle due to a "surprise" Draco said he had waiting for her after dinner. It had been a few days since they had gone public, and the shock was dying away for the most part, though she still would get at least three student volunteers a day coming up to her and asking all sorts of questions that she found to be increasingly personal. Ron had taken to sitting to Harry's left at meals now to avoid sitting next to Draco, and now Pansy and Blaise filled the gap that Ron left. Hermione would never have believed that such a seating arrangement would have ever been possible, and Seamus and Padma were the most openly disgusted by it, but she truly didn't care. If she was being honest, she was overjoyed at the display of unity, and on top of it all, she finally had what she had wanted for so long yet never thought she could truly have - Draco.

She tried to ignore the sense of foreboding, like everything was too good to be true and a disaster couldn't be far away as she and the girls Flooed back to Hogwarts. They took their bags of clothes and school supplies to their dorm and then rushed to the Great Hall for dinner, where all three of their men were sitting and waiting for them in their usual spots at the table.

Hermione smiled as Draco stood when she approached the table, blushing as he gave her a quick kiss on her cheek before he sat back down with her. "It's about time you got back," he said, handing her a plate of food.

"Yes, I know it took forever, but that was my fault. Nothing I tried on today looked good, it was a bloody nightmare."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Not that I believe nothing looked good on you, but yes, women shopping generally is a nightmare. Did you find something?"

"Yes, well, actually Ginny found it, but..."

"... But nothing, it's a brilliant dress, and you can thank me later, Malfoy," Ginny grinned as she leaned forward.

Draco looked a bit surprised by Ginny actually speaking to him, but he quickly recovered his smirk. "That sounds promising."

Hermione smiled at Ginny. Her friends still didn't speak to Draco usually, though they sat together now, and this was the first complete sentence she'd heard any of them speak to Draco. Ginny then leaned in close to her and whispered in her ear, "I sort of cornered Malfoy before we left this morning and threatened to use one of my Bat Bogey Hexes to slowly hack off his bollocks if he does anything to hurt you. So we have an understanding now."

Hermione suppressed a laugh. "Oh, Ginny, I love you."

"And I love you too, hence the plans I have for his bits if he so much as looks at you the wrong way."

"Well," Hermione chuckled, "we do spend half our time bickering and I reckon we always will, so you might need to show mercy from time to time."

Ginny scoffed. "That's his risk to take."

It didn't take long for Hermione to eat her last bite of food, and when she did, Draco immediately took her hand. "Ready to go?"

She took one last drink of pumpkin juice and nodded. "Yes."

Draco then led her out of the hall and out of the castle. "Where are we going?" She asked as they walked across the grounds, the sky a dark navy blue following the sunset just a few moments earlier.

"Not far, you'll see."

Draco led Hermione down to the lake, and as soon as it came into view she saw little bright lights suspended in the air at the lake's edge. She puzzled silently over what it could be until she was close enough to see the full scene.

There was a large blanket spread out over the grass, just inches from the water, and candles hung unsupported in the air around it. There was a very expensive looking bottle that sat in the middle of the blanket, next to two wine glasses and a vase of deep red roses.

Hermione looked up at Draco and smiled. "Who knew Draco Malfoy was capable of such romance?"

"Shut it," he said with an almost sheepish grin. "Here, sit."

He helped her to sit down on the blanket, then he sat down opposite her and glanced at the water. Hermione noticed that he looked rather nervous. "I hope you like it. I got the feeling the flowers made it all a bit cheesy..."

"No, I love it," she smiled. "Are you planning to get me drunk with whatever's in that bottle?"

He grinned, turning his eyes back to her. "Only if you want me to. It's elf-made wine."

Hermione eyed the bottle in curiosity. She'd never had elf-made wine before, nor any wine at all. "I'll try not to get too pissed."

Draco chuckled and grabbed the bottle, uncorking it and pouring about four ounces into one of the glasses, then handing it to Hermione. "Don't drink it too fast."

She nodded and waited until he filled his glass to try it. She took a small sip of the dark ruby liquid and was pleasantly surprised; it was not bitter, but rather very smooth and sweet. She took another sip, tasting many different fruits in the wine, and then took another sip.

"I said drink it slow," Draco laughed.

"Oh - yeah, oops," she smiled. "It's really good."

"Did you think I would give you anything but the best?"

She smiled as he moved the vase of roses and pulled her into his side. "No, of course not. You are a Malfoy, after all."

Then she felt her hair being swept aside from her left shoulder, and Draco's warm lips softly kissed her neck. Chills traveled down her spine and she set her wine glass down, exhaling and feeling very warm suddenly. She wasn't sure if was from the wine she had gulped down or if it was from the gorgeous boy nipping and suckling the most sensitive parts of her neck, but the air got thick and heavy quickly.

She took a handful of his blonde hair and led him to her lips, and she kissed him hungrily. His arms crushed her against him and she clutched the collar of his shirt, moving so that she was in his lap, effectively straddling him.

She bit his lip and he made a sound that made her warmth explode into fire, and she tried to push him down to the ground but he resisted and grabbed her by her hips, then placed her down not altogether gently on her back.

She loved the way it felt to be under him, and how he made her feel - she felt dangerous in his arms, powerful somehow, and strong. She had an effect on him as well that astounded her, but she loved it all the same.

His mouth left hers and trailed kisses to her ear, where he whispered "God, you're so beautiful." His breath on her ear made her shiver, though not as much as when his teeth found her earlobe a second later. His hand was under her shirt, so soft the skin on her stomach was tickled just a bit. Then his lips were on hers again, urgent and passionate, and his tongue found hers, rendering her thoughtless and at the mercy of the electricity coursing through her veins.

Then he was trying to pull off her shirt, and with a great effort she turned her mind back on and grabbed his hands. "I don't think so, Draco - not down here, not outside."

He groaned and kissed her again. "You're killing me."

She giggled. "We've only been together a few days, you know."

"Do you not recall what we did the other night when we'd only been together a few minutes, in my room?"

Her blush was illuminated by the floating candles. "I - yes, but..."

"You blush like this is all new for you, Hermione," Draco said, kissing her jaw.

"Oh, that was all definitely new," she said at a slightly too-high pitch.

His kisses stalled and he raised his head to look at her. "Are you serious?"

She nodded, embarrassment creeping up on her.

"So, you're still a... still a virgin?"

She nodded again. "You're not then, I take it?"

He frowned and offered his hand to her, lifting her up to a sitting position beside him. "No."

Hermione thought back to a conversation she'd had with Ginny a few weeks ago. "Pansy?"

He nodded, then looked at her strangely. "Wait, how do you know?"

"Ginny told me that she was all over you last year, more so than usual. I just assumed..."

Draco shifted uncomfortably and stared out over the water.

"Sorry, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I used her to get my mind off of everything that was going on. I'm not proud of it, but I can't change it."

"It's quite understandable," Hermione said. "I shared a tent with two boys for the better part of a year and you would be shocked to know what your mind can do to cope."

He looked at her with a bit of playful revulsion in his eyes. "That explains why you ever found the Weasel even moderately attractive."

"Well, have you seen Pansy's face? She looks like a pug who's constantly smelling something nasty," Hermione retorted.

Draco laughed. "That's a bit harsh."

She smiled back. "You're right. She's been nice to me, I should be nice as well."

"I didn't say it wasn't true," Draco said. "And I can assure you she wasn't who I thought about while I slept with her."

Hermione had to admit, she enjoyed the idea of him imagining that Pansy was actually her while they were intimate. She always assumed that he had forgotten about her when their affair ended in sixth year. "Well, maybe you'll get the real thing eventually."

"Maybe? Eventually?" Draco repeated with wide eyes.

She giggled. "Have a little self control, Malfoy."

"It takes all my self control to not rip off your clothes all day and take you in front of the whole school," Draco said savagely, earning another blush from Hermione's cheeks.

She smiled and looked out towards the rustling lake, her head still spinning a bit, enjoying what his words did for her self esteem. Nobody had ever talked about her like this before, and she loved the way he made her feel when he spoke of her like that.

She gazed up at the brightly shining stars in the sky and felt truly happy for the first time since she watched Voldemort fall to his death. She didn't know if it was the fact that their magic was shared between them now and it made her feel especially powerful all the time, like being constantly on the brink of performing a spell, but she felt a surge of power and had to release it. She lifted her wand and muttered, "Expecto Patronum."

It was the only spell she ever had difficulty performing, but this time her silver otter burst forth from her wand brighter than ever before and scampered along the lake. She smiled as she watched the Patronus dance about, and caught Draco's eyes watching it as well.

"I've never learned that spell," he said.

"Really? Everything your family taught you, and they never taught you how to defend yourself from dementors?"

Draco shook his head. "It's not a common spell for dark wizards to know. I don't even think my parents can do it."

"Well... I have problems with it sometimes. It's not easy. You have to focus all of your thoughts on the most powerful happy memory or thought that you have. Sometimes it can be next to impossible when there's an actual dementor staring you in the face."

He continued to watch her otter happily prance about. "Why an otter?"

"I think it's because one of my first memories is being at a lake with my parents and seeing a bunch of otters running around. I got a big thrill out of it, I was very small... but you generally don't choose what form the Patronus takes."

Then her otter vanished into silver smoke, and when she saw the look on Draco's face she asked, "Do you want to try it? The spell?"

He shrugged. "I don't really have to worry about dementors anymore, do I."

"No, but you can use Patronuses to send messages too. I can see that you want to - just try it."

Reluctantly, Draco pulled out his wand. Truthfully, he'd rather try this in private or not at all, since he wasn't keen on the idea of failing to perform a spell in front of Hermione that she had mastered. But he took out his wand anyway.

"Think of the most powerful happy feeling you can," she said softly. "Really focus on it. Let it fill you up."

He nodded and closed his eyes, and she absently noted how beautiful he was in the moonlight. His pale skin blended with his hair, which looked white in this light; then he spoke quietly, "Expecto Patronum."

A few wispy silver threads emerged from the tip of his wand, but nothing else happened.

"Everyone's first try is like that," Hermione said quickly. "Try again, and make sure it's a powerful memory."

Draco glared at his wand in annoyance for a moment but then closed his eyes again, deciding on another memory to try. There weren't many happy ones to choose from, and this one made his stomach flip whenever he recalled it. Who knows, he thought, maybe this one will do the trick.

He took an extra moment to try to really get lost in the memory, and then raised his wand again. "Expecto Patronum."

This time, a silver shield burst forth from his wand, but it quickly began to take a different shape. He and Hermione both watched with rapt attention as the bright light shifted and twisted, then eventually took the form of a dragon. The dragon stretched out its wings and then opened its mouth, and instead of fire, it breathed out enormous streaks of more silver light.

It was quite a sight to behold, and Draco lost his concentration quickly, resulting in the evanescence of the Patronus.

"... Wow," Hermione whispered, turning back to Draco.

"Yeah," he grinned.

"I suppose a dragon is fitting, with your name," Hermione said.

He shrugged. "I'm just glad it wasn't a bloody ferret."

Hermione laughed, and he chuckled with her. "That would have been cruel," she agreed.

Then Draco put his wand at his side and lay down on the blanket, staring up into the stars. Hermione lay next to him, their hands touching. Slowly their fingers intertwined and Hermione said in nearly a whisper, "I can't believe we're here, together. After everything that's happened. I never thought any of this would ever be possible."

He turned his head to her but didn't say anything, and she shifted to her side and brought her free hand to his face. "Who would have thought the biggest prat in school would be lying under the stars with the mudblood he bullied for years."

He grinned. "Who would have thought I would be waiting for the right moment to get you into my bed again and have my way with you."

"Is that all you think about?"

Draco shrugged. "You can take a peek inside my head and find that out for yourself. But I warn you, what you see might make you blush."

"Oh, I have an idea of what I'd find, based off of those images you're always pushing into my head at the worst times," Hermione smiled.

"That's nothing, trust me."

Hermione couldn't help the shiver that rippled through her body at the look in Draco's eyes. He could reduce her to a useless puddle with that look and he knew it.

Then his lips were on hers again, and Hermione let go for the second time that night, feeling as light as a feather and quite as carefree as one in the arms of her first love.

Ooo

When they reluctantly bade one another farewell that night, Draco headed down to the dungeons to retrieve some clean nightclothes from his trunk, walking all the way with a spring in his step, feeling impossibly cheerful. He hadn't felt this chipper in a very long time, and he knew he didn't deserve it, but he planned to let nothing get in the way of this newfound happiness. And if it was like everything else good that he'd ever had in his life, he knew he would have to hold on to it with both hands and never let his guard down, lest it be snatched away.

His mind flickered to his father, as it often did these days, and his lips twisted into a scowl. He hadn't gotten any news about his possible release in recent weeks but it weighed heavily on his mind. He and Granger were public now, and it was only a matter of time before Lucius found out. If not for the blood bond that bound Draco's life to Hermione's, Draco would have feared for her life - Lucius was a cruel man, undeniably, and nothing mattered more to him than the family's honor. Draco entering into a serious relationship with a mudblood, he feared, would be the ultimate dishonor in Lucius' eyes, and he didn't put it past the man to slip her a bit of poison to be rid of her. Of course, that would also do away with Draco himself now, and he didn't think his father would be willing to kill his only heir in the process - at least he hoped not.

His cheerful mood all but annihilated, Draco entered the Slytherin common room and headed to his dorm, but was stopped by Blaise's voice. "Hey, mate."

Draco stopped and turned toward the armchair Blaise was sitting in. The darker boy closed the book he was reading. "Have a good night, I presume?"

"Can't complain," Draco said with a small smirk.

"I'm glad to see you happy," Blaise said. "Really. I knew you never got over her."

Draco nodded slightly. Blaise was the only friend he had confided in about his affair with Hermione sixth year, albeit involuntarily - Blaise figured it out after Draco unexpectedly hexed Gregory Goyle for hexing Hermione after an altercation. But they hadn't been as close since the end of that school year, when Draco had let in the group of Death Eaters that started the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. Blaise, who toed the line about blood purity in public but didn't truly give a hoot one way or the other personally, had been disgusted with Draco's actions and had kept him at arms length from then on. However, after sharing a room with him when they returned to Hogwarts to help with reconstruction and being woken up every night by Draco's nightmares and accompanying agonized cries, Blaise was quite sure the boy had been punished enough, and anyway, he missed his friend.

Draco sank in a chair opposite Blaise and said, "This is the most you've spoken to me in months."

Blaise shrugged. "I had my reasons."

Draco didn't doubt that.

"I was impressed by how you apologized to Pansy awhile back," Blaise said. "It's about time you owned up to the way you've treated her all these years."

Draco stayed silent. He really didn't feel like discussing his old sins.

"I asked her to the ball," Blaise said. "As friends. But I'm hoping that will change, since you're not around for her to slobber over."

"I didn't know you fancied her that way," Draco said, genuinely surprised.

"I don't think she does, either," Blaise replied. "She's still not over you."

"Oh, bloody hell," Draco groaned.

"She's been in love with you practically her whole life, and now she has to watch you cavorting with a girl you both hated for years," Blaise scolded him. "It's not exactly easy for her."

Draco sighed. "Well then don't wait to make a move, maybe a good shag will get her to move on."

Blaise snorted. "Nice." A few moments of silence passed. "So, you ready to be on the front page of the Daily Prophet? I reckon you and Granger attending the ball together will be big news."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't care."

"At least your father's safely away in Azkaban. He'd probably kill you if he knew," Blaise chuckled.

Draco knew his friend was attempting humor, and that he had no idea of Lucius' release deal, but it still didn't sit well with him. "Yeah, well, I'm off to bed - I only came down here to get some clothes. I'll see you."

"Yeah, mate," Blaise nodded, picking up his book again. Draco got what he came for and then retreated to the classroom under Gryffindor Tower that he had turned into a bedroom, and fell into a fitful sleep.


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Alrighty, decided to update quicker than usual because this chapter's shorter and I'm trying to get to the main plot lol. Also, I've decided to up the rating to M, but there won't be any lemons. I'm writing chapter 18 right now and there are some things happening that make me paranoid and I'd just rather be safe and not risk this story getting deleted lol. But I don't want anyone to expect the usual M rated stuff, or any long steamy sex scenes... so don't be disappointed, lol, just being safe. Thanks for reviewing/favoriting/alerting! **

Though it was still summer and quite warm, Narcissa clutched her cloak tightly with her hands as she entered the tall, cold stone building that sat atop a small island and was surrounded by the rushing Atlantic ocean. She wore her hood over her head and quickly stated her business to the guards that held watch over the entrance, and soon one of them was escorting her through the grim premises.

She had been here twice before, just over a year ago, and though the lack of dementors made the place far more bearable, unpleasant chills still slithered down her spine as she passed the numbered cells that contained various criminals and dark wizards. Her husband was being held in one of the highest security cells, but he was waiting for her in a heavily guarded visitor's room today, and her stomach had been in knots ever since she received his owl beckoning her presence.

The war had changed Narcissa drastically. Nearly losing her son to the man her husband had foolishly pledged to serve years ago had shaken her to her very core, in ways the first war had not. The truth was, she neither believed nor disbelieved the supremacy of pure wizarding blood anymore, because she simply did not care about it any longer. She cared not whether Muggle-borns were taught at wizarding schools, or whether they rose to power in the Ministry; she cared not whether purebloods chose to marry half-bloods, or Muggle-borns, and she certainly had no desire to stamp out "mudbloods" and cast them back into Muggle society. What she cared about was her family, and making sure they adapted to the changing wizarding world.

She recalled Dumbledore's widely publicized beliefs of love being the most powerful force in the world, and while she had believed that to be rubbish most of her life, she now knew it was true. It was the love she had for her son that caused her to lie to the Dark Lord about Harry Potter's death, and though her lie may have been based on her own selfish interests, she was still astounded to this day that she had wound up playing such a key role in the downfall of Lord Voldemort. But learning of the monster's death had been one of the most powerful moments of her life; she no longer had to worry about her son being murdered by Voldemort or other Death Eaters, or of him being tortured, or being forced to do terrible things. Draco was free, thanks to Potter's testimony, and he was free to become a better man than the one she and Lucius had raised him to be. And if that involved him being involved with the Granger girl, then so be it - Narcissa only wanted him to be happy, no matter whom he chose to be happy with.

But Lucius, she knew, had not experienced the same changes that she did. He'd never been the same after his first stint in Azkaban, when the dementors were still guarding the prison, and he had been consumed with bitterness over his failures and his status as little more than the Dark Lord's slave, barely worth more to him than Wormtail. The only remorse she had witnessed him showing was over his failure to retrieve the prophecy two years ago, and of falling from his lofty position in society.

She reached a large gray stone door and removed her cloak as the guard opened it, motioning for her to enter. She stepped inside and saw Lucius, wearing dirty rags for clothing and looking at her through dead gray eyes, shackled to a chair behind a large table. Her heart dropped at the sight, though she had anticipated it - despite all of his faults, and all of the ways he had endangered Draco and herself, she still loved him deeply.

Narcissa sat down across from Lucius, and eyed the guards who would not be leaving during her visit.

"Narcissa," Lucius said with an incredibly weak smile.

She returned the feeble smile, taking in her husband's appearance. His long blonde hair was a rat's nest, and his eyes sunk deep into his face. His pale skin was chalky and grayish , and he looked far older than his years. "How are you?"

"Better, now that I shall be released soon," he replied.

She inclined her head. "Do you have news?"

"Most of the information I gave has been validated. It should be only a week or two more before it has all been confirmed as true."

Narcissa nodded and looked down at her folded hands. "That is good news. Very good news."

"Yet you don't seem very happy," Lucius noted.

"No, no, do not misunderstand me... I am very happy that you will be home soon."

Lucius eyed his wife suspiciously. "I called you here to go over some things I would like you to do, regarding the company, to prepare for my return. Also, I was curious as to how our son is doing."

"Draco is doing very well," Narcissa said, her stomach twisting together tighter.

"He is keeping up appearances?" When Narcissa said nothing and gave him a quizzical look, Lucius added, "He is presenting a respectable face to the world?"

"Of course."

Lucius eyed the guards and then lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'm afraid that with the current political climate, we must all do a bit of pretending for the foreseeable future."

This was exactly what Narcissa had been dreading. "Lucius," she whispered, "I have no intention of pretending anything. After the hell that you - that we've suffered as a family, my only concern is staying whole and rebuilding our lives."

"Of course, and that is my intention," Lucius answered. "But we must present ourselves as changed, as willing to accept mudbloods in our society, at least until-"

"You misunderstand," Narcissa interrupted. "Perhaps you must pretend to have changed, but I most certainly do not. Can you not see that we nearly lost our only son because of these beliefs and these prejudices we have clung to all these years? Did you learn nothing from the war, Lucius?"

Realization dawned on Lucius' weary features. "Narcissa..."

"Time's up," said a guard as he swooped to the table.

Lucius's expression became one of anger but he did not protest, so as to maintain his record of model prisoner behavior, but he saved a glare for his wife as she stood up. She did not flinch under his eyes. "I'll see you soon, Lucius."

"Indeed."

Narcissa turned and followed the guard out of the room, feeling a bit shaky from her admission to Lucius, but keeping perfectly composed on the outside. When she stepped outside of the prison a chill swept over her, and her eyes fell upon a storm brewing on the horizon. It was very fitting to her state of mind, and she hurried home to owl Draco.

Ooo

It was the day before the ball, and Draco had done his best to push out his mother's letter from his mind as he helped set up decorations. He'd received her owl days ago, and whenever he thought about it, his stomach would start churning unpleasantly, so he busied himself with work and Hermione, his favorite distraction.

The castle hade made amazing progress in the last few weeks, and was definitely fully functional once more (minus Ravenclaw Tower). He had spent the last two weeks working all day and night with Hermione, Pansy, and Cho in the library, and he was rather impressed with their work. Books had been arriving from around the world every day by the case, and he couldn't believe that just two months ago, the library had been little more than a pile of blown up parchment.

With all but the restricted section being nearly fully repaired, they had taken on decorating the castle for the ball, and it was rather boring work. It was mid-afternoon when Draco became bored of replacing candles and conjuring up small round tables in the Great Hall and decided to get inside Hermione's head.

She was on a ladder, conjuring some kind of vine-y, flowery plant to hang near the windows of the hall, and Draco tilted his head to the side and gently eased into her mind.

He could tell she was too distracted to notice, and this suited him just fine. He closed his eyes and thought over a few different scenarios, then settled on one with a smirk.

Hermione was waving her wand across a large window, nearly done with the flower portion of the decorations, when suddenly a very vivid vision burst forth in her head and caused her to grip the ladder in her state of startle.

In her mind, she was lying on the large table in the Great Hall, wearing nothing, and was covered with Draco's similarly bare body, and what she was seeing left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

"Draco Malfoy!"

She heard him sniggering in satisfaction as she wriggled down the ladder, and the smirk stayed on his face as she put on her best angry expression. "Do you have any decency?"

"No - and I never claimed to," he grinned devilishly. "Would you like to take a break with me?"

She smiled despite herself. "If I did that, I doubt you would let me get back to work at all."

"Probably not," he shrugged, still wearing his smirk.

"Well, as tempting as that is, the ball is tomorrow, and I need to finish in here," she said, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek. Cho and Hannah Abbot watched this from further down the hall and whispered to themselves, apparently still not used to the two former enemies being affectionate.

"It's alright," Draco said. "I'll have you all to myself tonight in our new dorm. Can't wait to break it in."

Hermione scoffed. "Don't get your hopes too high, Malfoy."

But, truth be told, she was incredibly nervous about her first night in her new Head Girl dormitory that she would be sharing with Draco. An extra room had been added to accommodate Draco and keep them far enough away to maintain propriety but close enough to prevent any pain due to a strained bond, but she knew he wouldn't be playing by the rules. He would be in her bed probably before she even had the chance to get into it herself.

After dinner, Draco and Hermione retrieved their trunks and walked to their new rooms, which sat high in the castle, not far from Gryffindor Tower, and eyed the portrait that guarded it.

Within the portrait sat a haughty looking woman, dressed in expensive looking but tacky red robes and a huge black pointed hat, and she was surrounded by - oddly enough - a rather large number of clucking chickens.

"The Chicken Hag, really?" Draco whispered in a pained tone.

"Shh," Hermione hissed.

The woman in the portrait turned her eyes on the couple and said haughtily,"Ah, yes, the new Head Girl - imagine my shock when I learned a _boy_ was going to be permitted to share these quarters! Why, never in all my years have I seen anything so blatantly inappropriate! It's a scandal!"

Hermione sighed. "I assure you, it's not. Anyway - Pickled Peppers."

"Yes, yes, fine, but I have my eye on you two!" the lady grumbled as the portrait swung open. Hermione and Draco rolled their eyes simultaneously and stepped inside.

It was much like a very small version of a school house, with a common room and two adjoining bedrooms. Each room had its own bathroom, thankfully, and Hermione immediately marched off to the bedroom to her right.

Her room was bigger than Draco's, and boasted of quite the view outside the huge window that her bed sat next to. Violet curtains hung around the window, and the bed sheets matched. It felt very warm and inviting, and though she would miss sleeping next to her best friends in the tower she loved, she thought she could grow to love this room too.

She unpacked a few things from her trunk and hung up her emerald gown in her new closet, then glanced at the setting sun outside her window. Everything seemed so peaceful, yet somehow unstable; she still couldn't shake the feeling of a looming disaster, though she had convinced herself to chalk it up to lingering anxiety.

Ginny, Harry, and Luna came by that night to check out her new digs, and Draco had stayed in his room while they were there. After they left, Hermione felt herself getting a bit tired, and retired to her bathroom for a shower. While she showered, she realized she wasn't quite sure how this arrangement would work - should she go and tell Draco goodnight, or just go to bed? What exactly was the etiquette of sharing a dorm with your boyfriend?

She was still overthinking the situation after she had gotten out of the shower and dried off her hair, wearing a fluffy white towel around her body as she walked back into her bedroom, only to shriek in surprise when she found Draco lying happily on her bed.

His arms were stretched out under his head, and his lips formed a wide smirk as he took in her towel-clad figure. "Well, well."

"You scared me to death!" she squeaked. "You can't just barge in here whenever you'd like!"

He sprang off of her bed and began to walk towards her. "Sorry about that. I heard your shower going and thought I might get to see something like this."

Hermione sighed and reached into her trunk for her pajamas, but then two hands enclosed around her wrists and spun her around, and she found herself pressed into her bedroom wall.

"You've never looked sexier," Draco murmured in a low voice, pressing his body into hers and brushing his lips against her jaw. She shivered against him and he reached one hand to tangle in her damp curls while he kissed her lips softly but passionately.

She kissed him back with as much fervor, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting out a soft moan when his mouth moved to her neck.

"I should really get dressed," she said breathlessly and a little inexplicably.

"Why?" he asked, raising his head and kissing her lips again. "So I can undress you properly?"

She hardly had it in her to protest - she'd wanted this for so long, and she was fresh out of reasons to delay it. "Maybe."

Draco grinned and pulled back slightly to look her over. "Personally, I think you're far overdressed at the moment."

"Maybe you should do something about that, then," Hermione replied, feeling suddenly daring under Draco's lustful gaze.

He half-growled and picked her up by her hips, then carried her to her bed where he lay her down gently. He kissed her hard and she fumbled with the buttons of his black shirt, and after a few more groans he tore off his own shirt and then tugged at the towel still wrapped around her.

They had fooled around before, but only in the dark, and no boy had seen her body before. She tensed as the towel fell away, and Draco did not miss this.

"Don't be nervous," he said as he hovered over her. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. But you are beautiful. Absolutely stunningly beautiful. Every part of you."

She smiled and felt her nerve return, and drew in more strength at Draco's bare chest just inches from her own. She knew this was the moment of choice, and she could either take what she wanted, or let her lingering apprehension get the best of her. But she trusted Draco completely, and she'd wanted her first time to be with him ever since their initial relationship in sixth year. "I want this."

"You're sure?"

She nodded and pulled him down against her, kissing him just before murmuring, "I've never wanted anything so badly before in my life."

Draco grinned against her mouth. It was going to be a fantastic night.


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thanks as always for reviews/alerts/faves! Long chapter today - finally got to the ball! There's a few hints as to what's to come as well... :D Oh, and just an FYi to one of the anonoymous reviewers - if you don't like Dramione, don't read it! I mean... yeah. I don't like plenty of pairings so therefore I don't read them. LOL. And what women did Draco ever torture? He certainly hasn't here, hence the coward scar I gave him. Anyways, on with the story!**

Hermione stirred as rays of the morning sun cast themselves across her face, nudging her heavy eyes open against her will. She was extraordinarily comfortable, and she resigned herself to having a nice lie-in before she realized that today was not only the arrival of the students, but also the day of the ball.

Her eyes flew open and she moved to sit up, which was when she noticed the long, pale arm that was draped across her waist. She saw a bit of black ink snaking along the edge of the forearm and looked over to its owner, who was lying face down in a mess of sheets, utterly uncovered and quite naked.

Memories flooded back to her mind as she realized her own state of undress, and she automatically pulled up the covers to her neck. She kept stealing more glances at her bare bedmate, and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. She had finally slept with Draco Malfoy, and while it had been as physically difficult as any girl's first time, she had still managed to immensely enjoy herself, and he had been gentler with her than she could have ever imagined.

Then the sound of the chicken lady arguing with a girl outside the door to her common room shook Hermione from her revelry, and she realized with a glance to a clock on the wall that she had missed breakfast.

Hermione jumped out of bed and scrambled into a bathrobe, then rushed to the portrait hole. She quickly became aware of every muscle she had strained last night, and walked with an embarrassing slight limp.

"Bloody hell, I'm Ginny Weasley, I'm her best friend and I'm quite recognizable so who cares if I don't have your ruddy passwo-"

The portrait swung open and Hermione and Ginny stood face to face. "Blimey, it's about time! You missed breakfast and I was... worried..."

Ginny looked Hermione over, and Hermione cringed, knowing what a mess she must look. "Sorry, I forgot to give you the password and I overslept -"

Then Ginny's eyes widened and she gasped. "Look at you! I know that look!" she whispered. "You and Malfoy - you -"

"Yes, yes, alright, _shhhh_!" Hermione hissed, dragging Ginny inside by the arm and pulling the portrait closed. "If that bloody chicken lady hears of it, I'll never hear the end of it and she'll probably tell the whole school."

"Well, out with it!" Ginny grinned.

"Out with what?"

"How was it? Of course!" Ginny said as if annoyed that she actually had to explain.

Hermione gave a small smile and sat down on the sofa in the common room, taking Ginny with her. "Well... it hurt, of course..."

Ginny nodded. "Yes, that's unavoidable. But otherwise?"

"Otherwise... it was fantastic," Hermione said, her cheeks burning scarlet.

"I hope he made it worth your while," Ginny said.

Hermione's cheeks managed to get even redder somehow. "Yeah... no worries there."

Ginny smiled and laughed. "Our little war hero's finally a woman! How does it feel?"

"Sore," Hermione giggled.

The girls continued to laugh until a knock on the wall behind them got their attention. They turned their heads and found a shirtless Draco Malfoy, clad only in his trousers as he leaned against the wall. "Morning, ladies."

Hermione flushed when their eyes locked and felt a jolt of heat rush through her. Then Ginny scoffed, "Oh, for God's sake, Malfoy, put some bloody clothes on - not all of us want to see you naked."

Draco laughed. "Please, Weaselette - don't delude yourself. I'd want to sneak a peek as well if I had to suffer and see what's under Potter's robes on a regular basis."

Ginny rolled her eyes and glanced at Hermione. "How do you put up with this git?"

Hermione leaned forward and whispered, "He makes it worth my while." Then they dissolved into more giggling and Draco stared at them for a minute before strolling past them to his room.

"I'll be in the shower if you'd like to join me, Granger. You can watch if you want, Weaselette."

Then his door closed behind him and the girls laughed again. "I'd rather play a round of Quidditch with the giant squid and then roast my eyes on my wand," Ginny said with a crinkled nose. "Anyway, I came to get you - Ron's about to leave for London."

Hermione nodded and threw on some clothes in her room, then followed Ginny down to the Great Hall. She spotted Ron's tall ginger head in the midst of a crowd wishing him well and giving him goodbye hugs, and slowly made her way through the people with Ginny, carefully avoiding even looking at Seamus or Padma. Harry was next to Ron, grinning widely and patting him on the back, and Hermione couldn't help but smile at her two best friends. They had grown and changed and been through hell, but they were still the same two goofs she'd met on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago.

Ron's eyes fell to Hermione and she smiled, opening her arms to give him a hug. Things were still awkward, to be sure, and Ron embraced her a bit too stiffly, but she was just grateful they had recovered their friendship as much as they had. In time, she hoped they could get back to the friends they once were.

"I'll miss you," she smiled when she pulled away. "I know you'll be a brilliant Auror."

Ron nodded. "It feels weird leaving, you know? But in a good way, I suppose."

"You must owl me," Hermione said. "I'm sure you will have all sorts of adventures to write about."

"That's if they let him get past the first stage of training," Harry grinned. "I'm just kidding, mate, you'll be brilliant."

Ron grinned and then checked his wristwatch. "Blimey, I'd better go. They're expecting me by Floo Network in five minutes."

So Harry, Ginny, and Hermione followed Ron to Gryffindor Tower, and bade him one last farewell before he stepped into the green flames. No matter what had transpired between them, Hermione still felt as if a piece of her left with Ron that morning.

* * *

Later that day, in the early afternoon, Ginny and Hermione were dutifully getting ready for the ball.

"Hold still - it's not easy straightening all of this," Ginny half-scolded, her wand in one hand and a brush in the other. Hermione was sitting on a stool in front of the large mirror in her bathroom, grimacing with each rough stroke of the hairbrush. Straightening her hair was no simple task, but Ginny had volunteered to suffer through it. All Hermione had to worry about was having some of her hair left once Ginny was done with it.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry," Ginny said, lowering her wand. She was using a heating spell on her friend's bushy hair and brushing it out, one section at a time, and had to be careful not to burn her scalp. "Just trying to make you look your best for the Daily Prophet."

Hermione scowled. "I really hope nobody makes a big deal out of it."

"Out of an ex-Death Eater and a war hero taking up with each other? It's going to be front page news, Hermione."

"Surely there are more important things to take the front page," Hermione grumbled.

"Oh, no doubt there is. But you know how people are. Say, did you know that Viktor Krum is expected to make an appearance tonight?"

"Spectacular."

Ginny grinned. "Don't be too cheerful, now."

Hermione sighed. "You're right. I've been through a lot worse than a bloody ball. I'm just nervous."

"Quite understandable. On the bright side, I'm halfway done with your hair," Ginny said brightly.

Hermione laughed and they chatted through the next thirty minutes of hair-straightening, both breathing big sighs of relief when it was finished. Then Ginny parted Hermione's hair deep on the left side of her scalp and pinned back the side with less hair with a sparkly barrette, and her hair was done. It only took a moment for Hermione to fix Ginny's smooth hair in the half updo she had requested, and then the girls stepped into their dresses.

"Alright, I have to go check on Luna - make sure she's not going to wear baked potatoes for earrings or something," Ginny said, gathering up her beauty tools.

"Right. I'll meet you downstairs in a bit," Hermione nodded, and then the younger girl was gone.

Hermione stood in front of her bathroom mirror and surveyed her reflection critically. She supposed she looked quite good, but she was still nervous about the gown - green had never been her color, and she felt as if she were some sort of impostor, trying to pull off Slytherin colors. She grabbed her wand from atop the sink and used it to cast a concealment charm over the scar on her forearm, not wanting anyone at the ball to see it and ask her questions about the night her nightmares revolved around. Although, now that she thought of it – last night she hadn't had any nightmares at all.

Then she heard the portrait swing open, and she poked her head from her room to see who was there.

"Ready, Hermione?"

She smiled at Draco's crisp appearance. He was in his finest dark dress robes and his hair was impeccably tousled, and a smile reached his lips when his eyes met hers. "Yes, I'm ready."

Reluctantly, she stepped into his full view, and watched carefully for his reaction. His grin widened and he ran his eyes up and down her figure. "Now I know what Weaselette meant about me thanking her later."

"I wasn't sure about the color..."

"You're brilliant in Slytherin green, Granger," he assured her as she stepped in front of him. He closed the gap between them and pressed a kiss to her lips. "And it goes perfect with my gift."

Draco then produced a square black box from inside his robes, and Hermione immediately said, "Oh, you didn't have to get me any gift - really, it's fine..."

"Shut up and open it," Draco said, placing the box in her small hands.

She fussed a bit more but under her breath, knowing it was a losing battle, and she popped open the box. Her eyes fell upon a thin shimmering silver necklace, from which a large tear drop shaped emerald hung surrounded by tiny white diamonds. It was gorgeous and simple, and quite perfect.

"I don't know what to say," Hermione smiled. "It's beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it," Draco grinned. "I did consult Weaselette to make sure the stone would match your dress... I was hoping you would be wearing my colors."

Then Draco took the necklace and stepped behind her, sweeping her hair aside to place the jewelry around her neck. "Yes, well," Hermione said, "now I'm in green and silver both."

"I know," Draco smirked as he hooked the necklace together. He then pressed his lips to the side of her neck and murmured, "I always knew you had some Slytherin in you somewhere."

"As if," Hermione scoffed with a smile as he turned her around to face him. "The Sorting Hat had no hesitation putting me in Gryffindor. If anything, I have a bit of Ravenclaw in me."

Draco shrugged and touched a few strands of her straight hair. "Things change, though, don't they."

And how they did. Hermione smiled and kissed her lover, a part of her still utterly unused to him being such, and then she took his hand. "Let's go."

The Great Hall was restored to its former glory and was ready to brought to life with guests and the influx of new students, and Hermione was quickly separated from Draco by McGonagall, who asked her and Harry to greet the coming guests with her. She obliged, to Draco's annoyance, and she spent the next hour greeting the arriving guests like some sort of royal dignitary.

The entire Weasley family came, even Molly, who previously had avoided the castle like the plague; Xenophilliius Lovegood arrived as well, apologizing to them over and over about his desperate attempt to turn them in when Luna was kidnapped; as well as many Ministry officials, foreign and domestic both, and students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

Viktor Krum was indeed among the guests, and he gave Hermione's hand a kiss at the doors.

"How have you been, Herm-own-ninny?"

Hermione smiled. After all this time, he still never learned to properly pronounce her name. "I'm brilliant, Viktor. And you?"

"Very vell," the Bulgarian athlete smiled, "now that you have saved the vorld from that snake."

She thought about protesting and pointing out that it had really been a team effort that would have been futile without Harry, but instead she decided to take the praise happily for once. He kissed her hand once more and then walked on, and Hermione glanced at Harry, who was at her right, and was grinning at her.

"Oh, shut up."

Eventually the three best friends made their way back inside the castle, which was now crowded with all sort of formally dressed witches and wizards, and Hermione sought out Draco with Harry, who had his eye out for his own date.

"There's Ginny," Harry said after a few moments. "I'll catch up to you in a bit."

Hermione nodded and continued to seek out her date, nearly jumping out of her skin when a hand enclosed around her wrist and spun her around. "There you are."

"Blimey, Draco, you scared me," Hermione gasped through a smile. She glanced to her right and saw Arthur Weasley eyeing them strangely, and she turned back to Draco. "Now the fun begins," she said dourly.

Draco took her hand and murmured, "Don't worry about it."

But she did worry. She didn't know if Ron or Ginny had informed their family of her relationship with Draco, and Molly had barely looked at her when she had arrived. As if on cue, she heard the matriarch's voice call out her name.

"Oh, Hermione dear," Molly said as she approached her with outstretched arms, "Come here so I can see you properly!"

Hermione grimaced a little in the older woman's crushing hug, and when she pulled away, Molly cupped her face in her hands. "You look splendid, dear."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley - how are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine, don't worry about me," Molly insisted, but Hermione could see the pain behind her brown eyes. Draco stood off to the side awkwardly, looking around and waiting for Molly to leave, but she paid him no mind, not even seeming to notice he was there. "Ronald told me about what happened between you two, and I just wanted to tell you that I have full faith that everything will work out in time. Even Arthur and I had a few breakups in our day, but we always found our way back to each other."

Molly then gave Hermione a warm smile that she barely returned, knowing Molly's words did not ring true but feeling utterly unable to say anything to refute them. When she didn't say anything, Molly said, "Alright - I'm going to go find Ginny. It's lovely to see you again, dear."

"You too," Hermione smiled weakly, watching as Molly finally acknowledged Draco by sending him a terrifying glare before she turned and walked away.

Hermione sighed. "Could have been worse, I suppose."

Eventually all of the guests, staff and student volunteers took to a large circle and McGonagall said a few words before Professor Flitwick took to his conductor's podium. Music began waltzing through the hall, and Kingsley Shacklebolt took to the floor with McGonagall, followed by Harry and Ginny.

Hermione stood rooted to the floor, but then Harry looked at her and jerked his head, motioning for her to join them, and with a shove from behind, Hermione all but stumbled onto the floor with Draco.

She glanced to where she had been standing before, and realized it was a smiling Luna who had given her the friendly shove. She smiled back at her friend and then Draco twirled her, and they began to dance.

Hermione could feel all of the prying eyes on her, and a din of whispers could be heard even over the music. Cameras flashed from a few reporters' hands and Hermione knew that her privacy had just been obliterated, but she kept her eyes on Draco's, and did her best to ignore the distractions.

After the guests watched in something of a stupor for a moment, they filtered out in pairs and started to dance themselves, with Luna and Neville leading the way. Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini received a few stares themselves, but they paid the gawkers no mind. Padma Patil and Seamus Finnegan were twirling about as well, not looking as sour as usual, and George Weasley got Hermione's attention with a poke to her shoulder as he swayed past her with Angelina Johnson.

She looked up and he mouthed, _That git? Really_? Hermione nodded and give him a small shrug, and George circled his temple with his index finger and crossed his eyes, then pointed to her. She giggled and mouthed_, I know_.

Draco pulled back slightly and followed Hermione's eyes to George, then back to her. "Another Weasley trying to put the moves on you?"

"Don't be silly," Hermione said, shaking her head. "He's like my brother."

Draco glanced back to George, who then smacked his fist into his hand and brought two fingers to his eyes, then pointed them at Draco's eyes. Draco raised his hand to make an obscene gesture but Hermione quickly grabbed it and laughed. George chuckled too and then returned his attention to his girlfriend. "He's just being protective, Draco."

"I've already had my fill of protective Weasels," Draco muttered as he twirled Hermione once more.

Then a deep, accented voice spoke from behind Hermione. "May I cut in?"

Hermione turned her head and saw Viktor, hands behind his back, waiting for his answer. Draco glared at the Bulgarian and made no moves to release her, so she gently took his hands and moved them away. "Of course, Viktor."

Draco reluctantly skulked off, never taking his murderous gaze off of Viktor. Hermione smiled as her old love interest took her waist and began to twirl her about.

"It has been too long, Herm-own-ninny," Viktor said. "I have missed your owls."

"I've missed yours as well," Hermione smiled. "But now that things are settling down, I do hope we can stay in touch once more."

Viktor glanced over at the still-glaring Draco and said, "That is Malfoy, yes? Vat are you doing here with him? I thought you were with Veasley."

"I was," Hermione answered, "but it didn't work out. Draco and I – we have a history."

"And you are happy?" Victor asked.

Hermione nodded and smiled widely. "Very."

"Vell, I am happy for you, then," Viktor said. "But should things change – I am alvays here."

Hermione smiled and was about to say thank you when suddenly Draco had stepped between them, taking Hermione back in his arms. "I think that's enough, Krum."

Viktor stared at Draco, annoyed, before turning his dark eyes back to Hermione. "Remember vat I said, Herm-own-ninny."

As Viktor walked off to find a new dance partner, Hermione laughed at the expression on Draco's face. "He didn't do anything, Draco."

"So what? Dunderheaded git can't even say your name right – how hard is it to say Her-mio-ne? He makes _Potter_ look like a bloody genius, the big –"

Hermione laughed again. "One little dance makes you _this_ jealous?"

"I don't want that idiot's hands anywhere near you, considering your history with him."

"Well," Hermione said into Draco's ear, "I assure you, a few snogs are all he ever got from me. He only wished I would have let him go as far as I've let you."

Draco grinned and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Good. Although that just makes my point for me – wasn't he eighteen when you were fourteen? Bloody creeper –"

"Actually, I was fifteen," Hermione corrected. "But yes, he still tried."

Draco gave a little growl, and brought her closer to him. "You see why I wanted to deck him, then."

"Maybe," Hermione grinned.

They continued to dance and give the gossips something to talk about, and they were almost starting to enjoy themselves after a bit. They weren't ignorant of the gawkers but they didn't let them get to them either. Draco had just given Hermione a kiss and brought her back up from a dip when he felt a finger tap his shoulder from behind him, and their good time was instantly annihilated.

"Hello, son."

Draco felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head, and he froze as he watched Hermione's eyes widen. He turned around and came face to face with his father.

Narcissa stood to Lucius' side and gave her son and his girlfriend subtly comforting looks as Draco glared at his father with unmasked loathing. Lucius was wearing expensive, crisp dress robes and his long blonde hair had been groomed back into its former glory, but his face told the tale of his life for all to see. Hermione barely recognized him as the handsome aristocrat he once was.

"Father," Draco said curtly.

"I should think you would be a bit happier to see your father out of Azkaban, Draco," Lucius said, unaware of the fact that nearly all eyes were on him at the moment.

"Forgive me if I'm not jumping for joy," Draco said through gritted teeth. "Why are you even here?"

"For the same reason as you, I suspect. Merlin, how rude I am being," Lucius said in his best charmingly polite voice, turning his eyes to Hermione. "Good evening, Miss Granger."

Lucius reached out a hand to her and Hermione reluctantly moved to take it, but Draco grabbed her hand and stopped her.

Lucius eyed his son and drawled, "It is understandable that you would feel anger towards me, Draco, but that does not give you the right to behave disrespectfully."

Hermione looked to Narcissa, who returned her glance worriedly.

"And you don't have the right to speak one word to Hermione," Draco seethed.

"_'Hermione'_, is it? So the rumors are true?" Lucius' gray eyes flitted from Draco to Hermione. "Such splendid news."

The contempt in his voice was masked but Hermione still heard it clearly, and saw loathing lurking behind his cold eyes. Narcissa took Lucius' hand and whispered, "Come on, darling."

He ignored his wife. Draco retorted, "I know you'll never change. So don't bother lying to me like you are to everyone else."

Draco's hand was trembling inside Hermione's hand, and his mind was a mixture of fear and anger. _It's alright, Draco, calm down_, she spoke to him nonverbally.

"Don't make a scene, now, son."

"I don't intend to," Draco said, turning and walking away, dragging Hermione with him. He walked her across the hall to the bar on which refreshments sat and then let go of her hand, still shaking and scowling deeply.

"I'm sorry, Draco, I didn't even see him arrive-"

Draco shook his head and cut her off, glancing in his father's general direction and muttering, "Bloody worthless bast-"

"Calm down," Hermione repeated, taking his hand once more. "Don't let him get to you."

But he couldn't help letting the man get to him. Lucius had the uncanny ability to make him feel like a stupid, useless child with one disapproving look, and he saw the hatred clear as day in his eyes when he'd looked at Hermione.

"Hermione!" Ginny called as she bounded up to them, interrupting Draco's angst. "Hermione, come with me, Bill and Fleur have news."

Hermione looked at Draco uncertainly, but he waved his hand. "Go. It's fine."

She reluctantly nodded and went off with Ginny, and Draco sucked down a butterbeer, staring off into the crowd absently until Blaise appeared at his side.

"Not too happy that your dad's out, I take it."

Draco laughed humorlessly. "Piss off."

"Hey, I'm on your side, mate," Blaise said, affronted.

Draco glanced at his friend and felt far too agitated to feel any guilt at his outburst. "My father can go to hell."

Across the hall, Hermione was giving her half-hearted congratulations to a newly pregnant Fleur, sincerely happy for Bill and his wife but far too concerned about what had just happened with Draco and his father to linger with them too much. She made her excuses and set off to find Draco, but he wasn't where she'd left him near the refreshment bar. She weaved through the guests in search of him but then heard a conversation that got her attention, and she hid behind a slowly dancing couple to eavesdrop.

"... Might be questionable whether it was prudent to show up here," the smooth voice of Minister Shaklebolt said.

"I have no doubts that in time, I shall be able to make amends, and the wizarding community will come to see that my... change of heart is genuine," drawled Lucius Malfoy.

"Yes, well, only time will tell, Malfoy. However, I hope you realize that your days of having any influence over the Ministry are over for good, no matter how many checks you write or how supposedly sincere you have become. Things have changed."

"Indeed. In fact, something I have learned in my years is that change is one of the few things we are guaranteed in this life. Good day, Minister."

There was malevolence under the elder Malfoy's tone, and Hermione frowned as she moved to begin her search for Draco once more. She only made it two steps forward before that slippery voice stopped her in her tracks. "Eavesdropping, Miss Granger?"

Hermione scowled and turned around, saying nothing. "I was hoping I could get a word with you in private."

"I don't have anything to say to you," Hermione replied calmly.

"Perhaps not," Lucius said with a slight smile. "However, seeing as you are now... involved... with my son, I see it fit to inform you of my recent change of heart. You see, I had little else to do in Azkaban but think on my errors and mistakes, and I have come to see the intrinsic folly of the beliefs I have held my entire life."

"Did you not say the same thing eighteen years ago?" Hermione said, unable to keep quiet any longer. "I don't know a single person who would believe you."

Lucius seemed merely amused. "Forgive me, Miss Granger, but I find it strange that you find myself to be wholly unforgivable, whereas you've clearly forgiven my son."

"You raised your son to be a horrible person and a cruel bully, yes, but anything he ever did for Voldemort was forced. He was never a true Death Eater, but you always were and I have no doubt you still are."

"Is that what he's told you?" Lucius said with a smirk. "That everything he did for the Dark Lord was forced?"

"That's what I know."

"Intriguing. So now you claim to know my son better than I."

"As a matter of fact," Hermione said with a matching obnoxious smirk, "I do. We're blood bonded, and because of that I know him better than anyone else possibly could."

The smirk fell away from Lucius' cold face. "Blood bonded?"

Hermione shoved out her arm and waved her arm over it, lifting the concealment charm from her scar. "Your lovely dead sister in law accidentally bonded us for life. You see, while you were busy endangering your family, she was torturing your son for refusing to torture innocent Muggles. She cut us both and created a blood bond."

The look on Lucius' face was one of horror, but not at the revelation of his son being sadistically sliced by his aunt. "This cannot be possible."

"It is possible. And it's irreversible."

Then Lucius' expression became angry. Hermione suddenly felt a twinge of fear, and she heard Draco's voice in her head. _Where are you, Hermione?_

_Left side of the hall, behind a bunch of Durmstrang students - your father's here_, she answered hastily.

"How extraordinarily unlikely of a story - you must have planned this, there's no way such events could have created a blood bond. Utterly unsurprising, coming from the likes of you -"

"Meaning what? Coming from a mudblood? So much for your change of heart," Hermione shot back, her own anger beginning to spike.

"Do not put words in my mouth, girl," Lucius growled. "It is nothing new for a simple, poor girl of undesirable stock to try to entrap a Malfoy and gain access to our wealth and power-"

Hermione laughed in his face. "That's what you think? Then you should know that your son has been in love with me for a year and a half and was the one to pursue me, despite my filthy blood. He loves me and I love him."

This seemed to be what set Lucius off, and a few things happened - Hermione saw two blonde heads and one dark head rushing to them from the corner of her eye, she felt a great burst of anger in her head from Draco, and Lucius' hand jerked to his wand. It was a barely noticeable move, but Hermione caught it, as did Draco, Narcissa, and Harry, who were now mere feet away, and all three quickly withdrew their wands and jabbed them towards Lucius. All three used a nonverbal Disarming spell but Narcissa was the quickest, and her husband's wand flew into her hand before his fingers even touched it.

Draco grabbed Hermione's arm and Harry took her other one, and Narcissa stood between them and a flabbergasted-looking Lucius. "Narcissa? What in Merlin's name are you doing?"

By now the crowd had taken notice of the almost-altercation, and all eyes were on them. "I might ask you the same thing," Narcissa said.

"My hand was not even touching my wand - how dare-"

Then McGonagall and Shacklebolt appeared, emerging from the midst of the crowd. "What is going on?" the headmistress' voice rang out.

Lucius angrily grabbed his wand from his wife's grasp and turned on his heel, storming away, though a few ministry officials followed him. Narcissa turned to the Minister and headmistress and said, "Just a misunderstanding. My apologies."

"Are you okay?" Draco whispered to Hermione. When she nodded yes, he turned his eyes to Harry and spat, "You can go now, Potter."

Harry returned the blonde boy's glare. "I think I'll stay, since you obviously can't keep track of who's about to hex your girlfriend."

"You little -"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Hermione half-yelled. "I can take care of myself, both of you! He wasn't going to do anything. It was an angry reflex."

"And how can you be sure?" Harry asked skeptically.

"Because I told him about the blood bond. He knows if he hurt me he would hurt Draco too." She removed her arms from both boys' grips and looked up into Draco's eyes. He looked beyond angry, and when she gently brushed his mind with hers, it felt like touching a hurricane. "It's fine, Draco."

Then Draco had her arm again and was leading her out of the hall and away from all of the watching eyes, taking her into a corridor that was free of people at the moment. "I saw the look he was giving you when he was going for his wand. He's not going to let this go."

"What can he do?" Hermione asked. "He can't control you anymore. He can't even hurt me without hurting you."

"My father will do anything for the family's honor," Draco said, shaking his head. "You don't understand. After seeing that look in his eye... he won't let this go."

"But... what can he do?"

"I don't know!" Draco snapped, and Hermione was taken aback. "I don't know, but this will be worse to him than anything that's happened. To him it's the height of dishonor for us to be together, and my blood to be bonded with yours."

Hermione stared blankly at him for a moment. "What are you saying?"

Footsteps broke the silence. They turned and saw Narcissa walking down the corridor to meet them.

"Miss Granger," she said with concern etched on her face, "I need to know exactly what happened."

Hermione nodded and recounted her conversation with Lucius while Draco watched broodily. Narcissa didn't look happy.

"Alright... I don't want either of you to worry. He won't do anything now that you are bonded. But, if I know your father, I will probably have to talk him out of disownment."

"Don't bother," Draco seethed. "I don't want to be his son."

Narcissa looked from Draco to Hermione. "Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy. For earlier," Hermione said quietly.

Narcissa gave her a tight smile. "You are, for all intents and purposes, family now. And please, call me Narcissa."

Hermione returned her smile. Then Narcissa said, "I must be off now. I'll owl you tomorrow, Draco."

Draco nodded, and then they were alone in the corridor again. Hermione closed the gap between them and placed her hands on either side of Draco's face. "Everything will be fine. It wouldn't be a do at Hogwarts without some drama."

Draco looked down at her and into her eyes, then captured her lips with his. He felt tense and angry still but she let him do as he pleased with her, feeling some of the anger in his mind dissipate some as they kissed. They both became overheated quickly but stayed clung to one another until Ginny's voice interrupted them.

"Oi! You'll have plenty of time to suck face later! Blimey, Hermione, Harry told me what happened and then I couldn't find you, I thought the worst!"

Hermione sighed as Draco pulled away from her. "I'm fine, Ginny. Nothing to worry about."

"Right," Ginny said sarcastically. "Well, I suppose I'll give you two a few moments but I'll be waiting around the corner for you."

Then she left, and Hermione smiled at Draco. "What is it you were saying about protective Weasleys earlier?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Here, give me your arm. I'll put the charm back on your scar for you."

"Actually," Hermione said, looking down at her forearm, "I think I am done trying to hide it. Harry's never hidden his scar. I shouldn't care what anyone has to say about it."

"You don't have to show it if you don't want, Hermione."

"But why shouldn't I? It's the truth," she said. "And I'm proud of what I've survived."

Draco gave her a soft kiss on her cheek. "You're the strongest person I know."

She gave him a small smile. "I've been getting sick of wearing long sleeves, anyway."

Eventually they rejoined the ball, and aside from a few reporters from the Daily Prophet hounding them for comments on their new public romance, the rest of the ball was uneventful. The reporters had apparently missed the near-scuffle with Lucius, and Hermione tried to put the incident out of her head.

She helped say goodbye to the guests just before the Hogwarts Express arrived with the onslaught of students, and she experienced another hand kiss from Viktor Krum, though this time Draco was close enough to see it and she caught the murderous glare it elicited from him.

She had just enough time to change into her school robes before the students arrived, and was pleased to find that McGonagall was sticking with keeping school houses blended during meals. The feast was eaten at four tables as usual, but students were free to choose whom they sat with. This frightened the already twitchy first years, and they ended up huddled up to one another as most weren't sure who belonged to the houses they were newly sorted in. Hermione liked this - it was the first sign of a new, much less divided era at Hogwarts.

Draco sat at her side for dinner, while Ginny and Harry sat at her other side, as usual. Luna and Neville sat at Draco's other side, and the arrangement got more than a few states and whispers. Hermione decided to put an end to speculation early, and at the peak of the staring, she gave Draco a small peck on the lips. Eyes bulged and small gasps were heard, and she rolled her eyes and went back to eating her roasted chicken.

Two of the most horrified stares belonged to the Greengrass sisters, who sat beside Pansy and Blaise at the table in front of Hermione's. The eldest sister, Daphne, looked expectantly at Pansy, like she expected Pansy to have a fit at the sight of her love kissing a mudblood, but Pansy shrugged it off. The younger sister, Astoria, sighed disappointedly and kept her eyes on the new couple.

Hermione noticed none of this, and after enthusiastically applauding McGonagall's first ever start of term speech as Headmistress, she fetched the new Head Boy - Neville, appropriately - and gathered the new prefects to give them their instructions. By the time she got to her dorm that night, she was past the point of exhaustion, but found that she couldn't sleep. She had kissed Draco goodnight and they went to their own rooms, but half an hour later, she was wide awake and staring at the ceiling.

Muttering to herself, Hermione stomped out of bed and out of her room, matching across the common room to Draco's door. She knocked and a moment later, a shirtless Draco opened the door with a smirk. "Knew you wouldn't stay away for long."

"Shut up," Hermione mumbled before launching herself at him. His mind was still not at peace, but she did her best to relieve his tension, and he gladly returned the favor. They brought each other to the point of even more intense but very enjoyable exhaustion, and fell asleep tangled up in one another.


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: short chapter today, but an important one! Thank you everyone who reviewed/alerted/favorited! 3**

"Hermione."

"Mmmm."

"Hermione, wake up."

No answer.

"Hermione..." Draco pressed his lips to his sleepy lover's neck. "Head Girl..." He trailed his tongue just under her jawline. "Miss Granger..." He nipped at her earlobe. "Wake up."

She stirred at his touch, but her eyes stayed closed. Draco smiled at her stubborn and uncharacteristic refusal to wake up, and then pulled down the thin sheet that was covering her bare body. She stirred again but still wouldn't open her eyes. His fingers danced across her skin but then his smile widened as he decided that he would wake her up by kissing the only part of her body that was more sensitive than her neck.

Within seconds, Hermione's eyes shot open and she was wide awake and cursing, though not from frustration or anger. Laughter replaced her shock and she didn't leave the bed for another fifteen minutes, but when she did finally get away, she did so as a very satisfied woman.

But, it was when she was stumbling out of his room and into hers with a sheet wrapped around her that she caught a glimpse of a clock and realized with horror that she had overslept by an hour.

She dressed in record time and frantically grabbed her class schedule and prefect's schedule, then ran to the Great Hall for a piece of toast. She intended to then run to the prefect's meeting she was late for but Ginny shoved that morning's Daily Prophet in her face.

"Oh, what the bloody hell," Hermione groaned, watching as she waltzed about with Draco on the front page. The headline screamed in bold letters:

**Scandal at Hogwarts: War Hero and Death Eater, Star Crossed Lovers?**

Against her better judgment, she began to read the blasted article.

**Hermione Granger, top student of her year and key figure in Harry Potter's defeat of Lord Voldemort, shocked the wizarding world yesterday by attending a ball celebrating the reconstruction of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with none other than the disgraced young Death Eater, Draco Malfoy. The unlikely pair shocked onlookers as they danced alongside the Minister of Magic and Hogwarts Headmistress, laughing and giving one another affectionate kisses, leading many to believe their apparent romance has been simmering in secrecy for some time.**

**The pair has been assisting with rebuilding efforts at the school, but until now there has been no indication of any sort of relationship between the two.**

**Newly released convicted Death Eater Lucius Malfoy was in attendance and was seen storming from the castle after an argument with the younger Malfoy and Granger, apparently outraged by the scandalous romance. Former member of Dumbledore's Army, Padma Patil witnessed the event and said, "Malfoy's dad seemed irate about something. I'm sure it's Granger's blood status, but what did she expect? These are the Malfoys. Her and Draco have been parading about the castle for the last month and we're all very disturbed by it - some of us even think he may have put her under the Imperius Curse, and why wouldn't he? He's a Death Eater, after all."**

**But Ronald Weasley, who until recently was linked romantically to Granger, had a different opinion. We reached him for comment in London, where he is beginning Auror training at the Ministry of Magic, and he told us, "If she's happy, I'm happy. And nobody's under any curse. Not saying I wasn't angry or confused at first, but she's happy, and she bloody deserves to be happy. And it's nobody's business who she chooses to be happy with."**

**For his part, Harry Potter agreed with Weasley, telling those who are concerned to "grow up and get over it". Malfoy's fellow Slytherin Pansy Parkinson, rumored to have been his girlfriend for the last two years, shocked us when she said, "It's nobody's business but theirs, but for the record, they are very happy and actually do make a brilliant match."**

Hermione couldn't read anymore. She put down the paper and looked at her friends gratefully, and looked over to Pansy across the hall, and gave her a smile that the dark haired witch acknowledged with a nod. "Thank you all for saying what you did. Really, I appreciate it."

"They didn't print my comment," Ginny grinned. "I suppose the language I used wasn't quite appropriate for public consumption. But I can't believe what Padma said."

Hermione shrugged. "It's nothing new. Anyway, I've got to go give the prefects their schedules before my first class."

Ginny nodded, then Harry leaned back and asked, "Yeah, why are you so late today? I thought you would be up before all of us."

"I - er - overslept," Hermione said, her face turning red as she gulped down a bit of pumpkin juice. Ginny snorted. "No, really I did. I couldn't sleep last night."

Ginny snorted again, and Harry laughed, leaving Hermione's face to grow even redder. "I don't mean it like that! Oh, whatever, I'll see you later, you dirty minds," Hermione smiled, turning to leave the Great Hall.

She ended up making her meeting and all of her classes on time, though barely, and cutting things so close frazzled her. Draco tried to get her attention throughout the day but he ignored him each time, and it was when she was retreating to the library during a free period after lunch that Draco caught up with her in a corridor and grabbed her hand.

"Blimey, Draco, _what_?" she demanded, exasperated.

"I have news," Draco smiled. "Great news. So stay put a minute or I'll put you in a body bind."

Hermione had never seen him smile so broadly before. Students were walking past them and giving them strange looks but Draco paid them no mind and shoved a piece of parchment in Hermione's hand. "Read it."

She took the parchment and looked it over. It bore a letterhead from Malfoy Enterprises, which she assumed to be the Malfoy's longstanding family business, and then skimmed down the letter, her eyes widening to their limit.

She looked up at Draco and her mouth dropped open. "Is this serious? But how?"

Draco beamed. "I had my mother get in contact with some of our Australian contacts, and we managed to do something the Ministry clearly can't."

She looked back down to the letter and felt her eyes brimming with enormously happy tears. "You found them... I can't believe you found them... They're alive! _Oh, Draco_!"

Hermione threw herself at Draco and he embraced her tightly with a laugh, and she began peppering his face with kisses. "I love you! I can't believe you did this for me! I love you!"

"I love you, too," Draco chuckled, unaware that a group of students were now stopped and staring open-mouthed at their public lovefest.

Hermione smiled so widely that it nearly hurt, and it didn't escape her notice amidst her euphoria that this was the first time either of them had told the other that they loved them. She kissed him again and then looked at the letter once more. "I'll have to take time off school to go and bring them home... oh, I can't wait to see them again and reverse the memory charm..."

"Don't worry about that - my mother's already arranged for them to arrive in London within the week. They think they've won a vacation to Britain for their exceptional dental work, whatever a dental work is," Draco grinned.

Somehow, Hermione's smile got even bigger. "You are amazing - utterly amazing - and your mother! I need to go owl her and thank her, oh and I need to tell Harry and Ginny! Come on, come with me!"

And Hermione abandoned the idea of studying for her free period, and spent the rest of the afternoon in jubilation.

However, at Malfoy Manor, things were not as peaceful.

* * *

"Narcissa, darling?"

Narcissa stiffened and took off her glasses, looking up at her husband as she sat behind the desk in her study. "Yes dear?"

"Would you mind explaining why you thought it worth our company's time to track down a couple of Muggles in Australia? Muggles who appear to be the parents of the mudblood?"

Narcissa eyed Lucius. "The 'mudblood' is family now, Lucius, whether you like it or not."

"Is that true?" Lucius mused. "I find myself a bit disappointed in you, Narcissa."

"I don't doubt that you do," Narcissa replied calmly. "But I'm afraid I cannot join you in clinging to the beliefs that nearly cost us everything. Including our son."

Lucius arched an eyebrow. "You tell one little self-serving lie about Potter being dead, and it turns you into a blood traitor? Fascinating."

"Call me what you want, Lucius. I've learned from my mistakes. You would do well to do the same. It's a different world now."

"Perhaps you're right. I do believe some changes are in order. Starting with the purging of blood traitors from the house of my noble ancestors."

Narcissa had the feeling something like this would happen. However, she had no intention of being thrown out of her home. She stood up and squared her shoulders, staring Lucius down. "Is that your true intention?"

"I shall not be responsible for the besmirching of the family name."

"Then allow me to save you the trouble. Mine and Draco's things will be moved before dinner. I expect my payment to be transferred to my vault immediately, as dictated by our premarital agreement."

"Of course," Lucius drawled, his gray eyes colder than ever.

Narcissa kept her emotions buried deep down inside of her, and as she walked out of the study, she spoke to Lucius in a low voice. "I hope that your pure blood mania is enough to keep you company now that you have lost your family."

Then she left. It was only when he realized that she had nowhere to go that she allowed herself to shed a tear.

* * *

Hermione and Draco stayed in high spirits for dinner, chatting animatedly and cheerfully until two owls dropped letters in front of Draco nearly at the same time.

He opened the first one with a slight feeling of dread after seeing that it was from his father.

_Draco,_

_Your mother has decided to leave the Manor. Consider yourself no longer welcome here as well, unless you come to your senses about the mudblood. Your belongings_

_are with your mother._

_L_

Draco's blood ran cold and he flushed with anger. She tore open the second letter, which was from his mother.

_Draco,_

_I've left your father. I am going to go see your Aunt Andromeda and see if by some miracle I can reconcile with her and stay for a bit at her home. If this is not possible, I shall come to Hogsmeade and rent a room until I can find something more permanent. I do believe your father plans to cut you out of the family, but according to our premarital agreement, in an event such as this I am to receive substantial compensation, which we can easily sustain us both. Do not worry about me, I will be fine. _

_Mother_

"Draco, what's wrong?"

Draco shoved his mother's letter to Hermione, fuming. He didn't care what his father did to him, but his mother was a different story.

"Oh my God - I don't even know what to say," Hermione said quietly, placing her hand upon Draco's clenched one.

"He never should have been let out of Azkaban," Draco growled. "I don't care if he cuts me off, what do I care, but my mother... after everything she's been through..."

"I know, but she's a strong woman. She'll be alright. Hopefully she and Andromeda can work everything out."

But Draco couldn't help the deeply uneasy feeling in his gut. Something was coming, something worse, and he had no idea what it was, but he just couldn't shake the feeling. And Hermione was feeling it too, stronger now that her joy at the news of her parents had been tempered.

* * *

Back at the Manor, Lucius clutched a tumbler of firewhiskey, sitting in the drawing room in front of a gently burning fire, mulling things over. He had a few ideas for ways to rectify the family's current situation, but one particular idea kept reaching the front of his mind.

He simply could not allow the family line to be muddled by that little bushy haired piece of filth, yet there was little he could do, seeing as she was bonded to Draco forever, and that for whatever reason, Draco had apparently lusted after her for some time now. He thought he'd raised his boy better than this, but perhaps he had slacked off his fatherly duties in his fervor to serve Lord Voldemort for the last three years. Yes, he reasoned, that was it - it was his fault. But no matter. He would do what needed to be done now. Perhaps Draco just needed a helpful nudge to point him back in the right direction.

A _nudge_...

Of course, this would be a far from ideal situation, Lucius conceded, but it was better than the alternative. Yes, anything would be better than Granger producing a filthy half-blood heir to the Malfoy name, even something as distasteful as this. With any luck, his plan would also help Draco come to his senses and he would see that he mustn't lower himself to the likes of the mudblood. The plan would serve dual purposes; it would ensure a proper pureblooded heir, and would extinguish the romance budding between his son and the mudblood.

Yes, and if this plan worked, he would not have to disown his only son. Instead, Draco would take his rightful place within the family, and Lucius would have finally done something right in his life. The blood bond complicated things, but that could be worked out later. For now, it was time to act.

Lucius snapped his fingers, and a ragged male house elf appeared. "Master Malfoy called his servant?"

"Yes, Bobbins," Lucius nodded. "I have a job for you."

* * *

Later that night, Draco was sleeping soundly in Hermione's bed. She was half draped across him and a thin sheet was all that covered them, and they had passed out after working one another to the point of pleasant exhaustion again. Neither heard the crack of Bobbins appearing in the room, nor the shuffles of his feet as he approached the bed. The elf stood on the tips of his toes and looked down upon the son of his master, and snapped his fingers. Draco stirred but did not open his eyes, and with the deed done, Bobbins snapped his fingers once more and was gone.

Draco continued to sleep soundly, blissfully unaware that he was now under the influence of the elvish version of the Imperius Curse.


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: I think I may have to start spacing updates by a few more days, cuz I'm almost out of saved up chapters - ack! This story's getting harder to write lol. As a warning, this chapter is when some of you might start hating me... *runs for cover* Oh and thank you as always to those who have reviewed/alerted/favorited! :D**

The next morning, Draco awoke alone. He glanced around and found a note on Hermione's pillow, explaining that she had decided to take an early start to her day, and that she would see him at breakfast. He got up and showered, reflecting on the previous night and grinning all the while. Then as he dressed, his thoughts travelled to his mother, and his grin disappeared. He left the dorm and headed to the Great Hall, hoping his mother's owl would be arriving soon with news of her whereabouts.

He strolled through the corridors, all in all feeling rather good about life despite the still-raging fury he felt for his father, and he was so preoccupied by his thoughts that he didn't see the dark haired girl barreling at him until they had collided into one another as they turned opposite sides of a corner.

The girl squeaked and then dropped her books, and Draco recognized her as Astoria Greengrass, one of his Slytherin housemates. She cursed and scrambled to pick up her books, and when she rose and looked up him, her eyes went a little wide.

"Oh - Draco! I'm sorry, I didn't see you."

But he barely heard what she said. His mind had gone utterly blank, and he stared at her strangely, unnerving her a bit. A sort of pleasant fog filled his mind, though now that it made its presence known, it felt as if it had been there all along. It was the most peculiar sensation he'd ever felt, but had no ability to analyze it, and when his mind regained some focus, it focused entirely upon Astoria.

"Um... I'll just... be on my way..."

With a very confused look, Astoria lowered her head and walked past Draco, leaving him to stare at the empty space where she had stood. It took a moment for his brain to return to him, but when it did, he had no sense of the oddness that had just occurred, and continued walking as if nothing had happened. In his mind, it had been nothing out of the ordinary.

He went on to the Great Hall and took his place beside Hermione, and within moments his mother's owl fluttered to a stop before him at the table.

_Draco, _

_I am with your Aunt Andromeda. I can't say she was happy to see me, but she is allowing me to stay with her for the time being, which is more than I thought possible. I've met your cousin Teddy. He's beautiful. I'll write again soon. _

_Mother_

"Mother's with my aunt," Draco said to Hermione.

"That's great news!" Hermione smiled.

Draco nodded and turned back to his plate, then his eyes wandered to another table and landed on Astoria. He didn't know how long he watched her, or who noticed, because he was once again only dimly aware of his actions. There was no rhyme or reason to it, it simply was, and he could barely stand to avert his eyes from the girl.

He only returned to the present when Hermione kissed him and ran off to class. He left for class then as well, and every time he happened to see Astoria that day, the fog in his head grew, and his desire to be near her grew as well. It seemed like second nature, however, like nothing worth questioning, and when his thoughts about her became even more muddled and dangerous, it never occurred to him that his relationship with Hermione very much forbade such thoughts. It never occurred to him to feel guilty. It was just how things were, clearly, and there was no reason he could think of as to why he couldn't have both girls.

Why try to fight something that felt as good as the Imperius Curse?

* * *

Hermione was worried. Her own joy was impenetrable now that she would be restoring her parents' memory in a matter of days, but Draco was rapidly becoming distant. His mind felt far away from hers, and she couldn't seem to touch it. She couldn't break through the fog swirling about his thoughts, and she thought he must just still be angry about his father and worried for his mother. But this was not a satisfactory explanation for very long. He would drift off and stare into nothing (or so she thought), but then when she would get his attention, he would instantly return to normal. It was unsettling, but she tried to put it out of her mind. After all, there was much to be happy about, and she had no desire to sabotage things with making things out of nothing.

That night, she left Draco in their dorm to go and visit her friends in the Gryffindor common room. Harry was in the middle of showing Ginny and Neville some photos of Teddy that Andromeda had sent him that day when she sat next to them on a squishy sofa.

"Pry yourself off of Malfoy's lips to spend some time in civilization?" Ginny smiled when her friend sat next to her.

"Very funny, Ginny. As if you and Harry aren't glued at the tongue these days," Hermione rolled her eyes.

Harry and Ginny both opened their mouths to protest before being cut off by Neville. "She has a point. At least Luna and I are discreet."

Hermione snorted. "Broom cupboards are considered discreet these days?"

"Broom cupboards?" Harry repeated as Neville turned a vivid shade of red.

"Oh yes - Ron once shoved me inside a broom cupboard and tried to snog me to death, and Neville and Luna burst in, thinking it was empty. He turned about as red as he is now."

Ginny laughed, and Harry said, "And here I thought snogging inside of broom cupboards were your M.O with Malfoy, Hermione."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at this reference to herself and Draco's brief relationship sixth year. "And I suppose late night shaggings in corridors is yours?"

Ginny's eyes widened and she shook her head slightly, but Harry wore a goofy grin. Neville grimaced and said, "Alright, I think I've heard enough for one evening. I'd rather keep my dinner down, if you guys don't mind."

They laughed and Neville left the couch. Hermione's eyes drifted across the room and caught a dirty look from Seamus. "Looks like Seamus is still put out with me," Hermione sighed.

Harry rolled his eyes. "He's been a right git to all of us lately."

"It's true," Ginny said with a sigh. "I don't even care anymore."

There was silence for a moment before Hermione spoke. "Can I see the photos of Teddy, Harry?"

"Oh, yeah, of course," Harry said, pulling out the pictures and leaning across Ginny to hand them to Hermione.

She smiled as she looked upon the smiling face of the son of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. He had his father's eyes (their shape, anyway, as the color was always changing) but his mother's heart-shaped face, as well as her gift of being a Metamorphagus. The baby's hair color was different in each photo, and in one, his hair changed rapidly into each color of the rainbow as he laughed happily. Hermione shuddered involuntarily at the last photo, which showed Teddy resting in Andromeda's lap. Andromeda looked so much like her younger sister, Bellatrix, that it was unnerving to look at her. But her brown eyes were warm and light, unlike the cold and heavy ones of her dead sister, and they showed a mix of pain and joy in the photo. Hermione thought of Narcissa and hoped the two sisters could reconcile, as both had lost much in the war, though Andromeda much more so.

"Your godson is beautiful," Hermione smiled as she handed the photos back to Harry.

Harry grinned. "I know. I'm trying to get Andromeda to come to Hogsmeade to visit but she's not too keen on coming, understandably..."

"Maybe you could Floo to them on a weekend," Hermione suggested. "Narcissa's staying with them now. After what happened yesterday."

"Really?" Harry asked in surprise. "That's good, I suppose, if they can work things out. She's one of the few family members Andromeda has left."

Hermione nodded. Harry had even less family than Andromeda, not counting the Dursleys, but his magical family was bigger than ever. Still, with effectively losing her parents last year, she knew it wasn't the same.

"So, when do your parents arrive?" Ginny asked, as of she could read Hermione's mind.

"Monday," Hermione smiled. "Only five more days."

Both Ginny and Harry smiled. "Well, at least we know Malfoy's capable of things other than being an obnoxious prat," Harry said. "Finding your parents for you almost makes him bearable."

"Almost," Ginny added.

Hermione laughed. "You're both terrible! He's not so bad, you know. He's not the same git we've known all these years."

"As long as you're happy, love," Ginny smiled. "It doesn't matter if we can't stand him. And who knows, maybe someday we'll all end up dear friends."

Harry snorted. "That'll be the day."

Hermione imagined Harry and Draco playing Exploding Snap or a friendly round of Quidditch together without hexing one another into next year and couldn't help the giggles that erupted from her mouth. On second thought, she decided, she'd rather things stay how they were - the alternative was just plain weird.

* * *

Meanwhile, Draco was in the Slytherin common room, sitting across from Pansy and Blaise and eyeing their interlocked hands warily.

"Jealous, mate?" Blaise ribbed.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Hardly. It's just... odd."

Pansy smiled a little but stayed silent. "You're calling us odd when you're shacked up with a girl you once wished dead at the hands of a basilisk?" Blaise retorted.

"That was years ago, and mind you, I never actually wished her dead. Just maybe... maimed to the point of not being such a know it all." Draco glanced across the room and saw the Greengrass sisters sitting with a small group of other Slytherin girls, and within seconds Astoria's eyes met his. She quickly turned away, seeming almost embarrassed, and Draco's mind filled with fog once more.

"Draco... mate... hello!"

Draco's eyes snapped back to Blaise. "What?"

"You were like, gone there for a minute." Blaise turned to see what his friend had been staring at but saw nothing but a gaggle of girls. He turned back to Draco, confused.

Draco looked at Blaise like he was crazy. Hermione had been giving him the same concerned look all day, and it was getting bloody annoying - what was everyone so concerned about? He was fine, and wasn't giving them any reason to look at him this way.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Draco muttered, standing and strolling towards the common room's portrait hole. On the way, he cast his eyes upon Astoria once more, and she met his gaze nervously. Her blue eyes filled his altered consciousness, and he was no closer to fighting his curse than he was earlier that day.

Ooo

An hour later, Draco and Hermione lay in each other's arms, their passions satiated, and Hermione settled into the crook of her lover's neck as she closed her eyes. "I love you, Draco."

He grinned into her hair. "I love you."

"It's good to hear you say that," she murmured.

"I'll say it as often as you'd like to hear it."

Hermione smiled and pressed a kiss to the skin of his collarbone. "I'll hold you to that."

"I'm sure you will."

Then Hermione drifted off to sleep, feeling utterly at peace with the world. She slept dreamlessly and soundly, blissfully unaware of when Draco gently eased her out of his arms and left her bed.

* * *

Astoria couldn't sleep. Her fellow sixth year dormmates were all snoozing heavily, but she could not shake the strange anxiety forming in the pit of her stomach. The day had been so odd, and she now felt like those burning silver eyes were on her at all times somehow, leaving her feeling deeply unsettled. Eventually, she traded tossing and turning for getting up to wander to the common room for a glass of water, hoping something, anything, would bring sleep soon.

She lit the fireplace and settled into a chair with her drink, taking a deep breath and attempting to relax. She'd barely exhaled when a voice nearly made her jump out of her skin.

"Up late, are we?"

She whipped her head around so quickly it brought her a great but fleeting flash of pain in her neck. "Draco - what are you doing here?"

He shrugged and approached her. "Couldn't sleep."

She rose from the chair and crossed her arms, again feeling horribly uncomfortable under his intense gaze. It used to be her dream for this boy to look at her like this, as she'd harbored a crush on him for longer than she cared to admit, but he was taken now, and it was just... strange. She wasn't even sure he knew her name. "Me either."

They stood there in silence for a moment, until Astoria became overwhelmed with the urge to run. "I'll be going now..."

She'd barely made it four steps before Draco grabbed her wrist. "I can help you sleep."

She looked up into the smoldering silver eyes and shuddered slightly. She opened her mouth but no words came out.

"Don't look so scared, Astoria. I don't want to hurt you."

Well, he knew her name. "I... I don't know what you mean..."

"Then let me show you."

Astoria found herself suddenly flush against Draco's body, and his warm lips crashed down upon hers. She froze at the shock of the contact at first, but soon her body responded of its own accord, and she returned his kiss. She didn't know why he was doing this and she knew it was wrong, but she couldn't object. It was the very wrong, very forbidden fulfillment of a secret dream.

For his part, Draco felt as if he were fulfilling something that needed to be done, something that was essential to his very existence. The fog in his brain reached its peak when he lifted the girl up and placed her underneath him on a couch, and the further they went, the more determined he became to surpass the point of no return. Hermione never entered his mind, nor did any potential consequences of coupling with Astoria without a contraceptive charm. He followed the lead of his mind and didn't second guess it.

He returned to Hermione's room twenty minutes later without an ounce of remorse or any true sense of what he'd just done. Astoria returned to her bed shaking and in disbelief, unable to sleep a wink that night, shocked that she had just given her virginity to Draco Malfoy.


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thank you everyone who reviewed/alerted/favorited, despite being pissed off for what happened last chapter haha... this is the last chapter before things _really_ get fricked up. Also should be the last shorter chapter for awhile. **

Lucius sat in his drawing room, this time clutching elf-made wine rather than his usual firewhiskey, sitting in a chair opposite Preston Smallwood. Preston was a longtime business associate of Lucius' but not a particularly close friend, as Lucius only tolerated him when he had no choice but to do so, and unfortunately, this was one of those times.

"I'm pleased to see you back at the reins of the company. Your wife made some... interesting decisions whilst she was in charge," Preston said, sipping from his own wine glass.

"Yes, well, her days of influence over the company are over," Lucius muttered.

"I have not seen her here today - are the rumors true, then?"

Lucius' lips thinned into a tight line. "Not that I see how it's any of your business, Preston, but yes, we have separated."

"My apologies," Preston nodded. "This must be a difficult time for you. How has Draco coped with the news?"

"I'm afraid Draco has made several decisions in recent weeks that have rendered us estranged as well. But I am in the process of remedying the situation."

"You must be referring to the Granger girl," Preston said. "Yes, I've read all about those escapades in the _Prophet_. When you say you are 'remedying' the situation..."

"It's none of your concern," Lucius snapped.

Preston's eyes narrowed. "When you intervene in these sorts of situations, people normally disappear."

"What a crass suggestion, Preston. I assure you, I intend to do no such thing. However, I do have several matters I must tend to, so, if our visit is over..."

"Of course, Lucius," Preston said, getting to his feet. "I shall be in touch."

Lucius nodded and then the man left. When he was alone again, he called, "Bobbins!"

The rough-looking house elf appeared with a crack instantly. "Yes, Master Malfoy."

"Do you have any updates for me yet on the task I entrusted to you?"

"I am still watching Master Draco, sir," the house elf croaked.

"And has there been... copulation?" He visibly cringed at the word.

"Yes, sir."

Lucius nodded. "See to it that it happens as many times as need be. Recast the curse if he starts to fight it. You may go back now."

"Yes, Master." The elf snapped his fingers and vanished.

Lucius sipped his wine with a grimace. He really didn't like any of this, but as much as he disliked the use of an Unforgiveable Curse on his own son, it was still far preferable to having the family bloodline marred by filth. Of course, a half blood grandchild was still a possibility, given the blood bond and how it required the mudblood to be a constant present in Draco's life, but at least this way he was guaranteed one pureblooded heir. And with any luck, Draco would see how preferable a pureblood was to Granger, and stop this nonsense with her. Of course, Draco would eventually find out that his father was behind all of this, but, Lucius reasoned, surely he would one day see that it was for his own good, and for that of the family.

Yes, the end would certainly justify the means. It always did.

* * *

Hermione and Draco appeared out of thin air in a London alley, and Hermione nearly broke out into a run the second her feet hit the ground.

"Blimey, Hermione, you don't need to run," Draco grumbled, running to catch up with her. She looked back at him with a smile, and his heart stirred at how beautiful she looked in that moment. His mind was currently mostly free of the terrible but very pleasant fog that had been controlling his actions, but it was still there, serving as a barrier to his memories of his indiscretion so that he could go about his day normally.

"I can't help it, I'm too excited," Hermione beamed as they stepped out of the alley. They walked a bit more and then found themselves in front of London Heathrow airport.

"Come on," Hermione said as she took Draco's hand and headed towards the main entrance. Her parents' plane would be touching down in minutes, and her heart was thumping joyously in her chest. Just that they were alive was a huge, overwhelming relief, but getting them back in her life again, and restoring their memory - it was enough to make Hermione quite sure she could never be angry at Draco for anything ever again, after giving her this gift.

Draco looked around warily as they walked inside the huge, Muggle-infested airport, feeling horribly out of place and uncomfortable in his Muggle clothes. He was wearing an outfit of Harry's - jeans and a blue t-shirt - and their owner was enough to make him hate them anyway, even without feeling like a dumpy, unpolished, non-magical prat.

After what felt like miles of walking, Hermione led him into a small waiting area that was just outside a row of gates, and she sat down happily in a small seat close to the stairs her parents would soon be descending. He sat beside her and she drummed her fingers nervously into her knees, staring at the staircase with wide eyes.

"Relax," Draco said, taking one of her hands in his.

"I'm a good kind of nervous," she smiled. "You'll never know how grateful I am for this."

Draco returned her smile and then paused at the sound of plane engines roaring over the building. He'd never travelled on anything but trains and brooms before, and he didn't understand how in the world these huge tube-like machines could get in the air, much less stay in the air. Maybe Muggles deserved more credit than he'd given them.

"You look half-terrified," Hermione chuckled.

"I feel a bit out of place," he admitted, "not to mention extremely unhappy about wearing Potter's Muggle clothes."

She rolled her eyes. "It's just jeans and a t-shirt, Draco. I think you'll survive."

He frowned. "I look like a bloody prat. I mean _Potter_ wears these... things."

"Well, you would have looked a bit odd showing up here wearing one of your fancy suits, so get over it," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes.

Draco opened his mouth to protest but then her eyes moved back to the stairs and grew wider. "Look! People are coming!"

Passengers from her parents' plane were indeed coming down the stairs, and her pulse quickened as she stood and searched the bobbing heads for those of her mum and dad. They ended up being nearly the last to appear, but when they did, Hermione had to use every ounce of self-control within her to not run to them and suffocate them with a huge hug - she had to keep in mind that they would have no idea who she was.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith!" Hermione exclaimed a little too loudly, approaching her parents with Draco a step behind her. "We're with the - er - welcoming committee of the British Dental Association!"

Her parents looked at her strangely, as was to be expected - there was definitely no such thing as a welcoming committee for the British Dental Association. "... Alright," her mother said slowly.

"So if you will just follow us, we'll show you to your rental car," Hermione said brightly.

Her parents looked at one another in confusion, but followed her anyway when she turned and began to walk. Hermione looked at Draco nervously, and after walking a bit, they reached a set of restrooms. Hermione turned and grabbed her parents by their jackets and tossed pushed them against the doors, and Draco quickly withdrew his wand and cast a quick spell that would make them all appear to the outside world to be chatting happily. Both her mum and dad gave shrieks of surprise.

"What in bloody hell...?"

"Be quiet, Dad," Hermione said, earning even more confused stares from them. She pulled out her wand from her back pocket and pointed it at her wide eyed mother first. "_Recovneo_!"

Silver wisps emerged from her wand and weaved into her mother's temple. When the light evaporated, she turned her wand on her father and repeated the spell.

When it was done, she lowered her wand and looked back and forth to her mum and dad, who now looked a bit blank yet utterly bewildered at the same time. She started to panic, thinking it hadn't worked, but then her mum looked her in the eyes and said, "Hermione?"

Relief flooded her heart and tears stung her eyes. "Yes, Mum, it's me," she choked out before throwing her arms around her.

"Hermione, what happened? Why are we in an airport?" her mum asked as they embraced.

"I'll explain everything, I promise," Hermione said as she pulled away and turned to her dad. "Dad? Do you remember me?"

"Of course I remember you, dear," he said before she gave him his own crushing hug. "I'm a bit confused though."

"I know, I know - come on, let's go sit down," she said, taking both of their hands to lead them out.

"Wait - who is this boy who's with you?" her mum asked.

"Oh - Mum and Dad, this is Draco Malfoy," she said, looking at Draco and giving him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. He nodded to them a bit awkwardly. "He's the reason you guys are here."

Draco reached out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," he said in his most polite voice. They shook his hand reluctantly, and Hermione knew it was because they now had their memories back, they must have had a dim idea of how odd it was for Draco of all people to be with her at the moment, but she could worry about all of that later. For now, she had an incredibly long story to tell her dumbfounded parents.

"Come on," Hermione said, motioning to a cafe in the airport, "I have a lot to tell you."

* * *

Very late that night, after informing her shocked parents of the last years' events and tucking them safely back in their old home (and placing protective charms around the house just to be extra cautious), Hermione and Draco Apparated back to Hogsmeade and headed to the castle. She'd promised them that she would be back tomorrow, and she was thrilled that they had instantly decided to move their dental practice back home to England as soon as possible. Hermione felt as light as air, and clutched Draco's hand as they walked.

"I'm so happy," she beamed.

Draco grinned back at her. "I can tell."

She stopped walking and pulled Draco close by his shirt. "How can I ever thank you?"

"I can think of a few ways," he smirked before pressing a kiss to her lips.

Her heart still fluttered whenever he touched her. She hoped the feeling never faded away. After a few more kisses, they began walking again, and Hermione said, "It all feels too good to be true."

Draco felt an odd tug in his mind, like some sort of reminder that he should feel guilty about something, but he had no idea what that would be. He'd done nothing wrong lately. "I know what you mean."

"I'm sure it's just because of the past. It's probably going to take awhile before I'm normal again. If I ever will be," she said as they walked along the path up to the castle.

"Normal's overrated," Draco shrugged. "And anyway, you've never actually been normal. Anyone who gets as excited by books and homework as you do is very, very abnormal."

Hermione scoffed. "If I recall correctly, you were always right behind me in grades for our year, so don't pretend you're averse to cracking open a book."

"Doesn't mean I get excited about it like you do."

Hermione shrugged. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not," Draco grinned. "As long as you keep making time for me in between all of those books."

She smiled and they walked the rest of the way to the castle, eventually separating so that Hermione could make a quick, promised trip to Gryffindor Tower as Ginny made her promise that she would. Draco headed to their shared dorm at first before his mind fogged and he made a detour to the Slytherin dungeons. He didn't notice Bobbins the house elf faithfully trailing him the entire time on his father's orders.

Half an hour later, he was on top of Astoria Greengrass again in the Slytherin common room, but this time, his mind began to fight the curse.

_This is a very odd thing to do. I don't think I want to do this anymore. I think I'll stop, _a part of his mind announced, and he stalled inside of her. She looked up at him confused, and he looked around as if he had no idea where he was.

_Nonsense_, spoke the fog. _You are doing what must be done. You must continue_. _Continue. Continue_. The fog felt so good, so pleasant, so warm and inviting, and he fell into it once more. He slammed into Astoria again and she yelped in surprise.

A moment passed, and his brain awoke again_. I really shouldn't do this. I truly ought to stop_. He paused once more.

"Draco?" Astoria asked breathlessly. "What's wrong?"

He looked down into her blue eyes in confusion once more. "Astoria?"

Before he could ask why in bloody hell they were having sex, a lurking Bobbins snapped his fingers, and Draco entered her again without another word. He left her five minutes later, freshly cursed and oblivious. Astoria, however, was more confused and concerned than ever.

Draco made it to Hermione's bed before she did, and was sound asleep when she turned in for the night. She slept dreamlessly, as she usually did ever since they'd begun sharing a bed, unaware of the war raging inside Draco's increasingly distant mind.


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: sorry for the later-than-usual update, I've been having massive computer issues. Thanks to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favorited - I'm about to crack 100 reviews for the first time EVER (and I've been writing fanfic off and on for years, for three different fandoms), so I am SUPER excited :D**

Despite the come-and-go sense of foreboding that she'd learned to ignore, Hermione had no idea how drastically her life was about to change.

School was going smoothly, and although she and Draco were eternally gawked at and gossiped about, somehow they were being left alone by their critics. Their days were busy and their nights were quite nearly as busy. Hermione's parents had moved their practice back to Britain, and her life had seemingly fallen into place perfectly.

However, someone whose life was far from in order was Astoria Greengrass. She awoke the first day of October feeling like death. She stayed in her bed through breakfast, feeling utterly unable to eat, and when she eventually tried to stand to get dressed for class, she ended up running to the loo and projectile vomiting what little was in her stomach. She gasped in great breaths and sank to the floor, resigned to skipping class today and sleeping off whatever odd flu this was. It was just as well, since it was hard to focus on her studies these days when every other night Draco Malfoy was finding her and shagging her senseless. It had been going on for a month, and he never stayed away for more than a day. She was beginning to desperately wish for her monthly cycle to come in the hopes that it would give her body a break from him, but then again, maybe this flu would do the trick as well.

Then she froze on the loo floor. Her cycle was due weeks ago. She stared at the floor as she counted rapidly in her mind, repeating the process about five times and wishing desperately for a different result each time but always coming to the same conclusion. She had been so distracted by the bewildering late night trysts that she had completely lost track of her cycle, and now she feared the worst.

She dry heaved some more in her horror at the thought of being pregnant, but a moment later the nausea was gone as quick as it came. All that remained was the dread and fear in the pit of her gut, as she picked herself off the floor and rushed to find her sister.

Astoria ran to the Great Hall and found her sister perched near the end of the Slytherin table, the least intermixed one of the four house tables. She pointedly ignored Draco, who was sitting next to Hermione at a table peppered with different students of the other three houses as usual and had an arm slung around her shoulders, and ran to Daphne.

"Daphne!" she hissed as soon as she came within earshot of her older sister. "Daphne, quick, come with me!"

"What the bloody - hey, watch it!" Daphne hissed back when Astoria grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her away from the table.

"_Shut up_! You have no idea how important this is!"

Daphne furrowed her brows and followed Astoria into the corridor. It wasn't often that Astoria snapped like this, and there was wild fear in her eyes. A moment later they were inside a girls' lavatory, and Astoria manically checked each stall. After confirming they were all empty, Astoria returned to her sister and said quietly, "You remember when you and Theo had that scare last year? When you though you might be pregnant?"

"That's a bit hard to forget, so yes - why?" Daphne asked as her eyes narrowed.

"You used a spell to test if you were. I need you to do it on me," Astoria said in a cracking voice.

Daphne's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "Astoria!"

"Shh," Astoria whispered. "I know, I know, but can you just do the spell and I'll fill you in after?"

"But - but I don't understand! Who -"

"Just do it!"

"Fine!"

Daphne withdrew her wand and hesitated a moment before waving it over her sister's abdomen and muttering a long Latin-sounding word. White light encircled Astoria's middle and Daphne lowered her wand. "It will take a moment. If the light turns blue, it's positive. If negative it turns to smoke."

Astoria nodded and stared down at the light, frozen in time as she awaited her fate. She prayed hard for smoke and held her hands in nervous fists, vowing that she would never touch Draco, or possibly any man, ever again if her prayers were answered.

Then the light stilled, and quickly turned a bright blue. Astoria and Daphne both gasped and clasped their hands over their mouths. The light then fell away and Astoria burst into tears.

She began to stumble in her shock, but Daphne grabbed hold of her and steadied her. She took her younger sister in her arms and tried to comfort her, flabbergasted and utterly confused as to how in the world this could be.

A few second year girls walked inside the lavatory and Daphne shrieked, "Get out! Both of you, out, now!"

The girls squeaked and ran out, and after a moment Daphne pulled away from her sister. "How can this be, Astor? I didn't even think you had a boyfriend?"

"I don't," Astoria blubbered. "It's not anything official, and he has a girlfriend..."

"Who? Tell me, Astor," Daphne urged.

"You can't tell anyone," Astoria sniffed. "Promise me you won't."

"I promise," Daphne said quickly. "Who?"

Astoria paused and more tears slid from her sky blue eyes as she half-wailed, "Draco Malfoy."

If Daphne thought a moment ago that she couldn't have been more shocked, she was wrong. This was almost as big a doozy as the pregnancy itself. "Draco?"

Astoria nodded and buried her face in her hands. "Draco did this to you?" Daphne said in a hard tone.

"He just came to me one night last month, right when we got here, and it just happened," Astoria said. "It's been happening a few times a week since then, and I didn't know how to stop it, it was so strange!"

"What do you mean strange?" Daphne asked.

"Well... I'm not sure. Sometimes he seems confused and almost forgets where he is... at least that's how it seems. I don't know."

"Well... you need to tell him, Astor," Daphne said. "Unless you just want to take care of it quickly."

"Take care of it? You mean -"

"Yes," Daphne nodded.

Astoria's jaw dropped and another wave of emotion hit her. "I - I can't even think about that, Daphne... I can't believe it... I'm pregnant... with a _baby_..."

_Baby_. The word ricocheted in Astoria's mind, and she suddenly felt repulsed at her sister's suggestion. "I won't have an abortion. I won't."

"That's fine, I'm not saying you should," Daphne assured her. "Look, why don't we take the day off class and talk? We'll do what we can to figure all of this out."

Astoria nodded. "Alright."

The two sisters walked to their dorms in the Slytherin dungeons, while Draco sat bored in Potions class with Hermione, blissfully ignorant.

* * *

Two days later, Hermione was making her way out of Charms class when a hand enclosed upon her wrist and spun her around, yanking her back inside the empty classroom. She squeaked in surprise and dropped her books before finding herself pinned between Draco Malfoy and a wall.

"Blimey!" Hermione exclaimed, but she was quickly silenced by hungry lips on hers. She lost her breath inside her boyfriend's kisses, and when he moved to her neck with a groan, she found her voice again. "Not here, Draco - Flitwick could come back any minute!"

"Let him," Draco murmured, nipping the most sensitive part of her neck.

"We... we have Transfiguation in... in... ten minutes," Hermione gasped.

Draco grinned at her breathlessness and rubbed her between her legs with his knee. "I'll take you right here against this wall if you let me."

She blushed and was becoming very heated very quickly, due especially to the images he was pushing inside her head of all the filthy things he wanted to do to her on Flitwick's desk, but Hermione mustered up the strength to push him away. "Later. Not here," she smiled. "I'm not in the mood to be expelled."

Draco smirked and held her hands at her sides as he kissed her once more. "You have no idea how sexy you are in class," he murmured in her ear.

"In class?" she half laughed.

"Mmhmm," he breathed, trailing kisses along her jaw. "Waving your wand about, your face all serious when you're reading, the way you bite your lip when you're really concentrating..."

Hermione smiled and ran her hands through his soft blonde locks. "You flatter me, Draco."

"And you make me crazy," he replied before kissing her again.

She let him kiss her some more, and waited until he was fully engrossed in her before quickly slipping out of his grip and scooping up her books from the floor. She turned back to him and smiled as she waltzed out of the room. "See you later, Draco."

He growled in frustration but smiled anyway. Hermione was a maddening little witch, he thought as he left the classroom a moment later, a bit uncomfortable from his lingering arousal. He made no more than two steps into the corridor before colliding with a small feminine figure.

"Oh, sorry," Astoria said quickly before looking up and realizing with what looked like horror who she'd run into.

Draco's mind instantly filled with fog. "We need to stop meeting like this," he drawled.

Astoria looked at him uncertainly and opened and closed her mouth several times before finally choking any words out. "I - we need to talk."

Draco just stared at her dumbly like he normally did, brain too muddled to compose any real thoughts.

"I'm... I'm..." The words stuck in her throat like great dry lumps. She paused and took a deep breath, mustered all her strength, and said, "I'm pregnant."

And just like that, instantly, the fog in Draco's head dissipated, and the curse was lifted. He awoke as if from a long, strange dream that he'd floated in and out of for weeks, and he looked at Astoria strangely. "I'm sorry - what?"

She looked at him warily, not noticing how his silver eyes had gone from glazed to sharp in the last moment. "I'm pregnant."

At first he wondered why this revelation was any of his business, but then his repressed memories from the last month came flooding back to him all at once. He remembered the late nights in the dungeons, every single time he'd slept with her, and how it had seemed to be essential to his very survival to do so.

His heart dropped and his blood ran cold in his veins. Astoria's eyes swam with tears, and Draco's head began to spin violently. He didn't understand how this had happened, or why, and for a moment he thought for sure this must be an odd dream. He heard fingers snap behind him, and he turned his head just in time to see a very small figure disappear.

"Draco?"

He turned back to Astoria. "I - I don't..."

"You don't what?"

Draco's heart was pounding and he suddenly felt very unpleasantly overheated. "I don't understand... anything," he said helplessly. His frantic brain was now in hyperdrive, tryin to understand why he had cheated on Hermione so many times apparently when he would never do such a thing.

Then it hit him. What caused people to do things they otherwise would never dream of doing, as if their very life depended on it? What curse was said to be so pleasant feeling, blissful even, that most couldn't fight it?

But he _did_ start to fight it, he remembered, and not long ago. Only a few nights prior, he had been in the heat of the act with Astoria when he'd decided that he no longer wanted to follow orders. But he hadn't stopped for more than a moment, had he? Why had he fallen back into the fog? Who had put the Imperius Curse on him, and who kept reinforcing it?

Who would even _want_ to do this to him?

"I haven't been in my right mind," he stammered. "This - I don't why why I did this, I've been cursed, I must have been, it's the only -"

This only seemed to upset the girl more. Tears spilled from her eyes and she took a few steps back. "You can't seriously expect me to believe that."

"I know - I know how it sounds but as soon as you spoke to me just now, it felt like a veil was lifted or something..."

But what sense did that make? The curse is broken by Astoria's declaration of being pregnant? How could that be? How could any of this be?

He stared into Astoria's blue, moist eyes, and the answer became clear. There was only one person on the earth who would Imperius him to have sex with the first pureblood he laid eyes on repeatedly until pregnancy was achieved. This was undoubtedly his father's work.

His jaw clenched and anger began to surge through him. He gave Astoria one last glance and muttered, "We'll talk later." He then turned and stomped all the way to the Slytherin dungeons, where he stormed inside the common room and made a beeline for the fireplace. He tossed some Floo powder in and growled "Malfoy Manor."

Seconds later he walked out of the fireplace in the drawing room at his father's mansion, and shouted "Father!". He tore through the manor, yelling all the way, and finally found his father in an east wing study, sitting innocently behind a desk.

"Father," Draco said through gritted teeth in the doorway. Lucius looked up to his son with his usual haughty expression.

"Ah, Draco - what a surprise."

Draco snarled and ripped out his wand. He advanced on his father, who quickly stood up in response, and he shouted, "I know what you did, you sick bastard! I don't know how you did it, but I know it was you!"

"Now, now, Draco - calm down. I have no idea what you're ranting about."

"The bloody hell you don't!" Draco exclaimed. "You're demented, you know that? I'm happy, for once in my God-forsaken life, and you do something like this to ruin it all! I don't want anyone but Hermione, I would never do what you've made me do!"

He was screaming a bit hysterically now, still jabbing his wand in the air at his father, who looked merely amused. He wanted so badly to hex that stupid look off the awful man's face, but his hands were starting to shake, and the words were tumbling clumsily from his lips. "Why couldn't you just disown me, forget about me like you did Mother, and make a new heir yourself? Why did you have to use me, and some poor sixteen year old girl who I've never spoken more than two words to? Why? _Answer me_!"

"Because, Draco, I know what's best for you, even if you don't. Believe me, I've taken no pleasure in these methods, but you've left me with little choice," Lucius said calmly.

"You're mental! How could you do this to me? Your own son?"

"How could you disgrace the family with that mudblood you've been soiling yourself with?" Lucius shot back with contempt.

"Don't you call her that!" Draco shouted, jabbing his wand again. "Don't you dare even speak of her!"

"How charming, so protective of that little piece of filth."

Draco flicked his wand and shot a hex at his father, but Lucius deflected it without effort. "Pathetic," Lucius drawled, "I know I raised you better than this. Your lack of sense and backbone must come from your mother."

Now Lucius had insulted the two most important people in his life, and he could barely contain his rage. "Shut up!" Lucius only smirked. "I still don't understand why you would do this when you could just knock up someone yourself to continue your stupid pureblood family line."

"Well, you see, son, my little plan serves several purposes. First, you will now see that your place is with a pureblood, specifically the one who is carrying your child. You will see what you could have with someone who is of Malfoy standards, and how superior to filth such a woman is. Second, I doubt your little mudblood will want anything to do with you once she learns how you have impregnated another girl, thus preventing the disgraceful prospect of you producing a half-blood spawn with her."

Draco glared at his father with revulsion. "So you think you can force me to get someone else pregnant and I'll just decide to, what, marry her and make a nice respectable pureblood marriage and forget about Hermione?"

"That would be the prudent decision, Draco."

This was horrifically absurd. "That's never going to happen."

"And you think the mudblood will want anything to do with you when she finds out what you've done?" Lucius asked with a raised eyebrow.

This was Draco's greatest fear. He knew somewhere deep down that his greatest fear should probably be the idea of becoming a dad at 18 to a child he had been forced to create with a woman he didn't love, but the thought of losing Hermione due to his father's insane meddling made his insides twist sickeningly. "She'll understand," Draco said quietly. "And I'll have you thrown back in Azkaban for using an Unforgivable."

Lucius laughed at this. "And where is your proof that I had anything to do with this? Who will believe you?"

Draco also knew this was his biggest problem. He didn't even know when his father would have had the chance to curse him. There had been far too many witnesses at the ball, and that had been the only time he'd seen Lucius since his release.

Draco glared at his father. "I won't let you take away the only good thing I've ever had. You've done enough damage already."

Lucius didn't lose his bemused expression. "You have much to learn, son."

Draco clenched his jaw and spat, "I stopped being your son a long time ago."

He then turned on his heel and stormed out of the study. He was angrier than he had been in a long time, possibly angrier than he'd ever been, and he slammed each footstep to the floor as hard as he could but it did little to relieve his rage. Portraits were yelling at him, calling him a blood traitor, a disgrace to the family name, and worse, but he ignored them and soon found himself in the drawing room, where the fireplace awaited him.

"Master Draco!"

Libby's squeak did little except annoy him. "Not now, Libby."

"Master Draco must hear what Libby has to say! Master Draco must stop right now!"

The little elf's tone was desperate, and Draco turned just before he was to grab the Floo powder. "What?"

Libby's huge ears dropped and she tottered to Draco, took one of his hands and pulled him down to her level. "Libby shouldn't tell you about this, Master Draco, but Libby must! "

"Tell me what?" Draco asked impatiently.

Libby's enormous eyes darted around the room before she whispered, "Master Lucius has done a terrible thing to Master Draco! Master Lucius told Bobbins to follow Master Draco at school, and to use our elvish Imperius Curse on you! Libby tried to stop Bobbins, oh, Libby tried, but -"

"Bobbins?" Draco repeated, and his mind began working again. He remembered hearing fingers snap and seeing a small figure vanish just after Astoria told him she was pregnant. That must have been Bobbins.

"Libby is sorry, Master Draco -"

"It's alright, Libby," Draco said quickly before looking at the elf and realizing what an awful state she was in. Her hands were burned and her left eye was black, plus her little body was covered in bruises. "Libby - who's done this to you?"

Libby cringed away some. "Libby's been bad... Libby ironed her own hands for trying to stop Bobbins, but the rest..."

"My father?"

Libby nodded, then punched herself in her own gut. "Libby shouldn't have told Master Draco - Libby must punish herself -"

"Stop, Libby, stop," Draco said, grabbing her hands. She was too much like her brother sometimes. "Listen - I can free you if you want."

The elf's eyes widened in fear.

"You can come to Hogwarts and work in the kitchen. You'll see me everyday. Would you like this?"

Libby's face brightened for a moment before tensing in fear again. "Libby - Libby has served the House of Malfoy all her life..."

Draco closed his mouth impatiently and hurriedly took off his silver and green Slytherin tie. He handed it towards the elf and said, "Come on. Now's your chance to be free. I'll take you with me to Hogwarts right now."

Libby looked from Draco's eyes to the tie and back again. After what felt like a very long moment, the elf reached out her long fingers and grasped the edge of the tie. Draco released it and she held the other end with her other hand, staring at the tie reverently. Draco then quickly picked up the elf and tossed some powder in the fireplace, then stepped into the flames.

Meanwhile, Hermione was at lunch in the Great Hall, highly concerned. Draco had disappeared after their brief snog in the empty Charms classroom, and now their mental connection felt stretched and strained. She could feel nothing but rage when she tried to reach his mind, but he felt so far away that it was a distant, strange feeling, like they were miles apart. It left her feeling anxious and unsettled, and she picked at her food while she worried.

She was just about to abandon her meal and get up to search the castle when suddenly the distant feeling disappeared and her mind returned to the way it usually felt. Draco's rage burst forth full force and interrupted the brief peace, however, and Hermione had to clutch her head to steel herself.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know. I'm going to go find Draco."

She stood and headed out of the hall, tentatively speaking in her mind, Draco?

She didn't know what the limits were of their telepathic-like ability to converse non-verbally, but her question was quickly answered. _Hermione. I have a few things I have to take care of. Go on to class. We'll talk later_.

_But you're so angry_, she thought in response. _What's happened_?

_We'll talk later_.

Hermione frowned but she didn't want to push it. He sounded so incredibly angry and felt terribly unstable, and she knew that whatever ha happened, it was bad. She went on to class but didn't pay one bit of attention for the rest of the day.

Meanwhile, after Draco sent a very excited but fearful Libby to the kitchens, he went to his dorm and paced the floor for an unknown number of minutes, wrapping his head around everything and becoming angrier the more he thought about it. He clutched his wand all the while and eventually felt the stick start to burn his palm with the rage he was sending to it. Finally he couldn't take it anymore, and he shoved his wand in his robe pocket and upturned the small table that sat in the common room. Not satisfied, he threw a candleholder at a clock on the wall and watched it shatter. He then kicked the sofa before feeling extremely silly and just woefully _young_.

This was how his father always made him feel. He hated feeling like a foolish child. He hated feeling like no matter what, he was never in control of his own life. Everything always came back to Lucius. He bore the Dark Mark on his forearm because Lucius had ensured that he would since birth. His back was scarred and torn because of his father's choice to follow a psychotic, megalomaniacal tyrant and offer up his family as servants. He lost Hermione the first time because of those very circumstances. Now he could lose her again, for something he still couldn't believe he had done.

But, Draco reasoned as he sunk down into the sofa, he had Libby to back up his story. He hadn't insisted on freeing the elf to be noble - rather, his motivation had been purely self-serving. She could confirm his absurd story, and hopefully he and Hermione could get through this. They had to. What else did he have left but her?

Then he thought of his mother and cringed. He knew he had to be the one to owl her, before she found out from somebody else. She would be so incredibly livid, possibly even more so than Draco himself. It was all still so unthinkable - Astoria really was pregnant, with Draco's child.

The truth of this made him feel strange. The idea that inside the girl's womb was a tiny, vulnerable little baby of his was just... unreal. The prospect of holding a son or daughter in his arms within a matter of months was frighteningly bewildering. He'd never even given a whole lot of thought to having kids, since until only several months ago he thought he would surely never live to see the end of the war. Since then, he'd thought about children only in the context of being some far away idea, definitely not something he had to consider any time soon.

But now the deed was done, though he'd had no say in it, and just what was he supposed to do now?

His instinct was to find a way out. He wanted to go back in time and somehow make himself fight the curse, to never touch Astoria. He would have given anything for a time turner, but he knew every known one of those had been destroyed three years ago. But there was something that could be done - girls got abortions all the time, didn't they?

It was a tempting prospect. Just a quick trip to a healer and nobody had to know. It could just go away, and he wouldn't have to risk losing Hermione. His father's plan would be foiled.

But just beyond the temptation was a sudden surge of anger for even thinking of such a thing. Despite it all, somehow he felt protective now of Astoria and her child - their child - and the thought of destroying the child as if it were nothing seemed abhorrent. Enough had been destroyed at his father's hand, but no more.

He hoped Astoria would agree with him.

As for Hermione, there was only one thing to do. He waited until dinner had passed and fetched Libby from the kitchens, directing her to himself and Hermione's dorm to wait for them. He then went to retrieve Hermione, praying to God that somehow she would understand.


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: Ack, sorry for the later-than-usual update. I was nowhere near my computer the last few days. Thank you for everyone who reviewed/favorited/alerted! Only one review away from 100 - who shall be my first-ever 100th reviewer? Whoever it is gets absoutely whatever they want hahaha **

Hermione sat down on the sofa in her common room, utterly bewildered and a bit terrified. Draco had dragged her away from the Great Hall moments earlier, and his mind was still a raging storm of anger and fear. A thousand different horrifying scenarios went through her head as to what was the cause of his distress, but once he had placed her on the sofa and sat down in a chair opposite her, a tiny little elf poked out its head from behind him and got her attention.

"Libby?" Hermione asked with furrowed brows. Libby's ears flattened and she twiddled her long fingers nervously, then looked to Draco. Hermione followed the elf's eye and said, "What's going on, Draco?"

Draco took a deep breath and said after a moment's hesitation, "Please just listen to everything I have to tell you. Promise me that you will hear me out."

Hermione's eyes widened. "My God, Draco, you're scaring me."

Draco looked at her with sad, watery, frightened eyes, and spoke. "About a month ago, my father sent one of his elves here to put a curse on me."

Hermione paled.

"I had no idea, I never even saw the elf."

"What happened? Are you hurt? Or -"

Draco shook his head. "My father had the elf Imperius me. To make a pureblood heir."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "An heir? But..."

"I never knew what I was doing, you have to believe me - I started to fight it once but the damned elf kept recasting the curse, and I had no sense of anything, I just kept on and on -"

He was rambling and quickly becoming hysterical before Hermione cut him off. "What are you saying?"

Draco looked down at his shaking hands, finding himself unable to say the words.

"Draco! What are you saying?"

He clenched his eyes shut and said, "Astoria Greengrass - she's pregnant. It's mine. I did it. I did it and I hate myself."

Hermione sat there and stared at her boyfriend in shock. Was this some kind of sick, preposterous joke?

Libby saw the dumbfounded, confused shock on Hermione's face and stepped forward. "It is true, Miss. Libby heard Master Lucius tell Bobbins the elf what to do, and sent Bobbins to Hogwarts to place the curse on Master Draco. Libby tried to stop Bobbins, but Libby failed - and Libby was punished," she said, her voice becoming small at the end. Hermione looked from Draco to the elf and back again, her expression unchanged.

After a long moment of silence, Hermione all but whispered, "Astoria Greengrass?"

"She was the first pureblood I saw after the curse was put on me. She's only sixteen, and - " Draco exhaled roughly and looked back down at his hands, then brought his eyes back up to look into Hermione's. She was staring at him unblinkingly. "Please tell me you believe me. I would never do this to you - I would never want to."

Hermione remained silent. This was what she had been dreading. This was exactly what a part of her had anticipated for so long, ever since she and Draco had finally found their way back to one another - a complete disaster.

"I freed Libby today - she's not lying to you. She's not telling you what I told her to say."

Hermione found herself incapable of either believing nor disbelieving him. She was still hoping to wake up and find this had been a strange dream that she could just forget.

But that didn't mean a part of Hermione wasn't devastated all the same.

"Say something, please," Draco pleaded.

She didn't know what to say. The pain, shame, and anger in Draco's mind was washing over her like a long-built up wave, and anything she wanted to say would only make it worse. For her part, she felt strangely numb. What she'd anticipated had come to pass, albeit in an entirely different way than she'd ever dreamed, and now she simply began to feel the familiar feeling of being let down.

Draco then moved from his chair, and was kneeling before Hermione, clasping her hands. He looked up desperately into her blank brown eyes. "Please tell me you believe me."

"I don't know what I think," she finally said.

Libby shrank away to give them some privacy. "Why didn't you fight it?" Hermione whispered.

"I did," Draco said. "I did, but Bobbins kept reinforcing the curse."

"You must know how this sounds," she said in an increasingly shaky voice.

"I know - look, I can show you my memories," he said frantically. "They all came back to me once the curse was lifted, just look inside my mind -"

Hermione held up a hand. "I don't want to watch what you did."

Hermione's eyes then wandered across the room, and she realized that a table was upturned and a clock lay shattered on the floor. "What - did you do this?"

Draco nodded. "I saw my father and I was so angry when I got back -"

"You saw your father?" Hermione asked. At least now she knew why Draco had felt so far away today.

"I confronted him and he admitted it - let me at least show you that memory."

"I believe you - I think," Hermione said, getting to her feet and taking out her wand. She put the room back in order with a wave of the wood, while her mind worked at a rapid pace. "But I don't know if I can handle this."

Draco stood and watched her helplessly. She turned and said, "I - I have to think. I need to go."

She swept past him. "Hermione, please, stay -"

"I need to go," she repeated before climbing out of the portrait hole. She left him standing there to stare at her absence, while she ran to the safety of Gryffindor Tower.

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin dungeons, Astoria was curled up in bed while Daphne sat at her bedside. Astoria's blue eyes were puffy with tears and her empty stomach ached terribly, but her heart ached even worse.

"What am I going to do, Daphne? When Mum and Dad find out..."

"You need to calm down, Astor," Daphne said, rubbing her sister's hand soothingly. "We're going to get through this."

Astoria sat up, clutching a pillow to her chest. "What if it's true? What if he really was cursed, and that's why he kept... coming to me? What if he never even wanted me?"

Daphne didn't know what to say. There was so little she understood about the situation.

"Can you imagine what they're going to say about me? When everyone finds out? I should just drop ou of schoolt."

"You most certainly should not!" Daphne scolded. "I love you very much, Astor, but you made decisions that put yourself in this situation, and you must take responsibility! You know what Mum would say - Greengrass women are strong, and we don't run away. I know it is difficult, but you must be strong."

Astoria tried to heed her sister's words but within another moment fresh tears were falling down her face. "But how am I supposed to raise a child at sixteen, with a man who probably hates me now for ruining his life?"

"Don't be daft - you did no such thing! If his story's true, he has his father to blame. If he's lying, he has only himself to blame."

Astoria sniffed. "I should have asked you how to do a contraceptive charm, but I was too embarrassed. Look where that led me!" She then fell back to the bed with another wail.

Daphne sighed. Her sister always had a flair for the dramatic, but at least this time she had every right to be as dramatic as she pleased.

Then Astoria unexpectedly bounded out of bed. "I'm going to find him. He stays in Granger's Head Girl room, right? I'll be back later."

"Astor, wait - do you really think that's a good idea?"

Astoria turned back at her door and threw her hands in the air before walking out. Daphne sighed, then made her way back to the Slytherin common room.

"Hey, Daph," Pansy called as she watched Daphne sink into a chair. Pansy perched on the arm of the chair and asked, "Is your sister all right? I saw she missed class all day and she looks dreadful."

Daphne shook her head with a glance to her friend. "No, she's not all right."

"What's wrong?"

Daphne sighed. "I can't tell you just yet, because it's not my story to tell. But you'll know soon, I'm sure."

* * *

Harry blinked. Ginny's jaw dropped. Neville, who had been eavesdropping out of sight, fell out of his chair.

"He. Did. _What_?"

Hermione looked away from Ginny's enraged face and felt tears stinging her eyes for the first time since Draco's revelation. The numb was giving way now, and she felt the pain of his betrayal. Whether he was cursed or not, it was still a betrayal.

"Does he really expect you to believe such rubbish? That he was put under the Imperius Curse by his father's elf and forced to bang that slag? Does he think you're an idiot?" Ginny railed.

"Ginny," Hermione said, "Libby - the elf he freed - she backed up his story."

"Alright, I know you have a soft spot for elves, Hermione, but he probably told her to lie, threatened her even -"

"I think I believe him," Hermione said simply.

Harry broke his silence. "Hermione -"

"Listen to me," Hermione said sternly to both of her friends. "All this month, I've barely been able to touch his mind. There's been this fog, and he's acted strangely at times, like he's not always there. The way our bond is, we wouldn't be able to hide things like cheating from one another without a curse blocking those memories. Now it all sort of makes sense."

"But he's an Occlumens," Harry pointed out.

"Yes, but Occlumency is useless when it comes to blood bonds," Hermione replied. "At least, according to my research."

"I just don't believe it," Ginny piped up. "I don't trust him."

"I know you don't," Hermione sighed. "But I do and I need my friends right now."

Ginny crossed her arms and stood up to begin pacing, while Harry leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "You really haven't gotten any sense of this, from your bond? You didn't see any of this happening in his mind?"

Hermione shook her head. "There's just been this fog that comes and goes. And when it's been there, I just get absolutely nothing."

Harry paused, considering this. "It does sound like the Imperius Curse, I suppose."

Hermione lowered her face into her hands. "I knew something like this would happen. Nothing's ever peaceful for too long, nothing. And it would be asking far too much for either of us to have any sort of happiness."

"But," Harry said, "if he was forced to do it -"

"Then what? I have to share him with her and their child for the rest of my life?" Hermione snapped. "She'll be in his life forever! And I'll have to look at her, knowing what she was doing to my boyfriend for an entire bloody month! How am I supposed to deal with that?"

Neither Harry nor Ginny had an answer for this. Hermione continued, "And even though I do believe Draco and Libby,Ii keep having these thoughts - what if I _am_ being uncharacteristically dim, and he _did_ do it of his own accord? What if I'm blind? What if I only saw what I wanted to see? What if he knows how to somehow block me from his mind, and he really did..." Hermione's voice broke and she lowered her head as fresh tears came. She felt the couch shift on both sides of her, and when she looked up Ginny and Harry were sitting next to her.

"We'll figure out a way to find out for sure," Harry told his friend. "I mean, if Malfoy's story is true, then Lucius should be back in Azkaban. Maybe... maybe he could, I don't know, confront Lucius again and we could be there under the Cloak to hear him admit it for ourselves. Something has to happen if it's true."

Hermione nodded and wiped her eye with the back of her hand. Then Ginny said, "That still leaves Hermione in a rotten situation."

"I didn't say it didn't," Harry muttered.

"Maybe we just aren't meant to be together," Hermione said grimly. "We get close and then something terrible happens every time."

"He is a Malfoy, Hermione," Ginny said. "Being who he is ensures that there's always going to be some kind of chaos. Especially while his father's around."

Hermione took a deep breath and slumped back against the couch. "I just want to be happy. It's all I want."

But happiness, it seemed, was always being yanked away from her so abruptly that she barely had time to enjoy it while she had it.

* * *

Astoria paced up and down the corridor, ignoring the appraising gaze of the chicken hag, and squeaked in surprise when the portrait eventually swung open and revealed a rather haggard looking Draco Malfoy. He paled at the sight of her, but she quickly steeled herself and looked him straight on. She was a Greengrass woman, after all.

"We need to talk," she said curtly. "Since you ran off earlier today before we could finish our conversation."

Draco grimaced as the portrait closed and motioned for her to step away from the prying eyes of the chicken hag. They walked out of earshot of the portrait and Astoria looked up at Draco expectantly. "Well?"

"Well what?" he shot back under furrowed brows.

"What are we going to do?" she asked impatiently.

"I haven't given much thought to that, to be perfectly honest, seeing as I'm trying to keep my life from falling apart."

"Oh, like you're the only one?" she hissed. "I'm bloody sixteen and pregnant by someone who claims to have never even wanted to sleep with me, but sure, my life's all unicorns and rainbows."

"Well, then maybe you should have told me to get lost a month ago and you wouldn't be having that problem," Draco growled.

Astoria gave a small gasp. "So it's my fault, is it? Of course - you're Draco Malfoy. Responsibility isn't one of your strong suits."

His anger for his father and the situation in general was now in the process of being directed at Astoria. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That Mark on your arm," she said haughtily. "Anything that you've ever done. It's always somebody else's fault, you're always supposedly 'forced' into doing these terrible things. A bit like your father in that way, aren't you?"

If Astoria hadn't been a woman, and pregnant to boot, he would have decked her. "You have no idea what you're talking about," he snarled.

But now Astoria's woeful attitude had turned to anger in the face of being blamed for the pregnancy, and her hurtful, cutting side was coming out. She'd learned from watching Daphne and Pansy over the years how to be impressively mean, and now seemed as good a time as any to showcase her skills. "Don't I? Everyone knows about you and your God-forsaken family. I don't know why I was foolish enough to fancy you for so long - that is my error in this situation. I should have known not to give you a second look, after everything you've done -"

"You would have been doing both of us a favor," Draco said through gritted teeth.

"So tell me - do you want me to get rid of it?"

Draco's glare softened some. "What do you mean?"

"The baby. Do you want me to have an abortion? I'd expect you to. You've taken the cowardly way out every chance you get your entire life, I don't know why this would be any different."

Draco's lips were twisted into a unnattractive mix of a sneer and a scowl. "You would be wrong. It's tempting but that's my child in there."

Astoria was genuinely surprised by this. "Well... good, because I'm keeping it," she said after a pause.

"Good," he mumbled, and then they found themselves in an awkward silence.

The silence was quickly interrupted by footsteps, and a moment later, Hermione appeared.

Hermione stared stone-faced at her boyfriend and the girl he'd knocked up, and Draco looked at her in horror while Astoria kept her eyes to the floor. Only a few seconds passed before Hermione wrenched her eyes forward and walked away to her dorm.

Draco turned back to Astoria. His eyes were pained and she almost felt pity for him at the sight. Then he turned without a word and disappeared inside Hermione's dorm, leaving Astoria to drag herself back down to the dungeons, ready for another crying fit.

"Hermione," Draco called once the portrait swung shut behind him. The sound of her bedroom door slamming shut gave away her location, and he walked quickly to the door and rapped on it.

Hermione stood just a few inches away from Draco, leaning her back against the other side of the door with her eyes closed.

"Hermione... please, I just want to talk," Draco said softly.

"I need to be alone," she replied.

He leaned his forehead against the door, feeling utterly dejected and defeated. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Hermione grimaced at his breaking voice. "I just... I need some time, okay?"

But Draco needed her to understand now. He gathered up his memories from earlier that afternoon of his row with his father, as well as of Libby's liberation, and pushed it into her head with all of his might.

She staggered a bit at the sudden impact, and stared out in front of her blankly as the memory unfolded in her head. She didn't even know something like this was possible - she knew thoughts could be planted in one another's mind through the mysterious powers of a blood bond, but she didn't know full memories could be transplanted as well (except in the form of nightmares).

Draco had to concentrate hard to keep the memory flowing, and when it was finished he had broken out in a sweat. He breathed heavily and reopened his eyes, waiting and wishing for Hermione to just say something.

Eventually, Hermione opened the door. She looked into his silver eyes sadly and said, "It's not that I don't believe you, Draco."

"Then if you believe me -"

"But," she interrupted, "I don't know how to feel about this and I need some time."

"We can get though this," he said. "We survived a bloody war on different sides and still came back to each other - surely this is nothing compared to that."

"Not exactly, Draco," Hermione said. "She's going to be in your life forever now. Unless she doesn't keep the baby -"

"She is," Draco quickly replied.

"Then she will always be there. And when I see her I'll always see..." she broke off and took in a breath before continuing. "When I saw you two just now, all I could picture was you on top of her, and I just..."

Draco reached out in the doorway and took Hermione into his arms. "I know," he said quietly, "I know, but I never would have done this to you. I hate it, I have these memories now and they make me sick..."

Hermione embraced Draco, feeling the guilt and the self-loathing coming from him in waves, and she felt terribly for not being the comfort he clearly needed. But she was still extremely confused and shocked, and she could hardly stand to be near him at the moment.

Cursing herself, she pushed Draco away. "We'll talk more tomorrow, alright? Just let me have tonight to myself."

Draco nodded just barely and released her, then headed to his room without a word. Hermione felt the tears coming back yet again as closed her door, and she fell into bed with a muffled cry.

But rest didn't come for either of them that night. They both tossed and turned into the wee hours of the morning, and when they finally fell into fitful sleeps, Draco's nightmares filtered into her head like a live feed. But his nightmares were brand new tonight, and for once, he didn't dream of Hermione being tortured on his floor or of Lord Voldemort. Instead, he dreamed of losing her. He dreamed of his father's face twisted in delight of Hermione rejecting him for good, and of watching her go off and find someone else to be happy with while he fulfilled his father's grand scheme. Then the dreams became filled with his memories of himself and Astoria having sex. This was the worst part of all; he twitched and grunted in his sleep, clenched his fists and became filled with rageinside the dream. It was like being forced to watch the thing you hated most about yourself over and over, and in the midst of it all, Astoria's words replayed themselves, ridiculing him and calling him a coward. Then Lucius' words repeated themselves. The cycle continued until he finally awoke after a mere three hours of sleep.

Just across the dorm, Hermione awoke in tears. She had just seen the very thing she never ever wanted to even think of, and now that the sounds and images of Draco making love to Astoria were forever imprinted on her brain, she didn't see how on earth she could ever get past this.


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thank you all so much for sticking through this rather unpleasant part of the story. I was afraid I'd lose most of you a few chapters ago lol. And to brenluvshp, have no worries! I wouldn't be so mean as to take this story back into canon after all this time :D thank you to everyone who reviewed/alerted/favorited!**

The next morning, Narcissa left her room to join her sister at breakfast. She took a seat at the table silently, as things between herself and Andromeda were still a bit strained, and took a biscuit from a plate at the center of the table as she watched her sister feed Teddy in his high chair. The baby looked at Narcissa and smiled, then changed his currently light brown hair to a pale blonde to match Narcissa's.

Andromeda smiled and looked to her sister. "Good morning, Cissy."

Narcissa returned Andromeda's smile. "Good morning. Teddy looks to be in a good mood today."

"Oh yes," Andromeda grinned, spooning some porridge into Teddy's waiting mouth. "I love mornings like this. One of his teeth finally broke through the gums yesterday, so I think that's why he's not as irritable as usual."

"Teething is always difficult," Narcissa grinned. "When Draco teethed as a baby, he made sure the whole world knew of it."

Andromeda smiled in response and continued to feed Teddy, who started pounding the tray of his table in anticipation of the next bite. Narcissa took a bite of the biscuit on her plate and then said quietly, "I wish I had known then what I know now."

Andromeda's brown eyes flickered to her sister's. Narcissa continued, "I missed you so terribly all those years. The fact that you've never met my son and that I will never be able to meet Nymphadora..."

Andromeda flinched a little at her daughter's name and Narcissa immediately closed her mouth. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

Andromeda sighed and handed Teddy a sippy cup of milk. "It's just hard to hear her name."

Narcissa nodded. She could only imagine how her sister felt, to be disowned by her entire family and then lose her husband, daughter and son in law in the war. Losing Draco had been Narcissa's greatest fear during the war, and that fear had accomplished what nothing else could - to shake her to her core and lead her to abandoning her lifelong beliefs. But if she had actually lost Draco... well, suffice it to say that she was deeply impressed that Andromeda could even get out of bed in the morning, let alone function enough to care for an infant.

"But," Andromeda said, "Teddy keeps me going. And for what it's worth, I've missed you every day since you disowned me."

"I don't think I could ever express to you how sorry I am," Narcissa said in a small voice. "I was so convinced of how right I was, and of my superiority. If I could go back, I would change everything about the last twenty years."

"I only wish it didn't take a war to awaken this change within you, Cissy," Andromeda said sadly.

"Me too."

Andromeda tickled one of Teddy's little dangling feet and smiled briefly before her expression darkened once more. "One of the hardest things to stomach is knowing that Bella killed my Nymphadora. My own sister, murdering my only daughter. I suppose that I shouldn't be so shocked after she killed Sirius, but... I just can't wrap my mind around it."

"Bella was very sick," Narcissa said, suppressing a shudder. "She stopped being the sister we grew up with many years ago. Even before Azkaban. Azkaban just exacerbated her illness."

Andromeda looked upon her sister with sad eyes. Andromeda was the image of what Bellatrix could have been - warm, caring, sane - but chose not to be. They had looked like twins as children, and the resemblance was still strong to this day, but despite everything she had suffered and everyone she had lost, Andromeda still had the same soft, caring brown eyes as when she was a child, and that made all the difference. "What was it like, living with her and - and - him?"

Since Narcissa had arrived here, their conversations had generally been short and polite, and thus highly uncomfortable, and now Narcissa felt oddly relieved to be discussing the darkest part of her life with her sister. "It was like you would imagine. Terrifying."

"How did Draco cope?"

Narcissa winced at this. "He hid a lot from me at the time, to keep me from worrying or getting upset and doing something that would get me killed. Bella tried to 'train' him after he failed his mission at Hogwarts, and when she tried to force him to torture Muggles and he refused, she cut the word' cowar'd into his arm. He only told me recently."

Andromeda's mouth dropped open a little. "I would have killed her," Narcissa added, "had I known. Which I suppose is why he didn't tell me. But, ironically, she used the same knife to torture Hermione Granger and inadvertently created a blood bond between them."

Andromeda's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Is that why they're - you know, an item?"

"No, they actually became involved during Draco's sixth year," Narcissa replied.

"I hope they stay together, then," Andromeda said. "Blood bonds are nothing to mess with, from what little I've heard about them."

"Indeed," Narcissa nodded.

Andromeda shook her head. "They remind me of myself and Ted. They're good for the Wizarding World. For a Malfoy to fall in love with a Muggle-born, especially with the history there - its a very inspiring, unifying story."

Narcissa smiled. "I'm very proud of my son. He's a better man than Lucius and I raised him to be."

"It's the Black side of the family in him," Andromeda said with a small grin.

"I don't doubt that," Narcissa replied. "In all honesty, I'm relieved to be separated from Lucius. I love him - I always will - but after everything that his choices did to us... and the fact that he came out of it all utterly unchanged except for the worst... it's just for the best."

"I agree."

Narcissa paused. "I plan to take a look at a few houses tomorrow morning - I don't want to impose upon you any longer, and -"

"Nonsense, Cissy," Andromeda said quickly. "You are perfectly welcome to stay here. Only if you wish, of course - but it's nice to have some company. And it's nice to have a sister again."

Narcissa smiled, relieved. "Thank you."

Just then, an owl swooped through the widow and landed on the table in front of Narcissa. She untied the letter that was bound to the owl's little leg and pulled it open, finding three full pages inside the envelope that was addressed from her son.

Andromeda watched her sister's icy blue eyes grow huge and horrified as she read through the letter. Eventually Narcissa reread the letter as if in disbelief, and then rose from the table. "I have to go see Draco."

"What's happened?" Andromeda asked, standing as well and taking Teddy out of his high chair.

Narcissa looked at her sister with angry eyes. "It's Lucius. Apparently he placed Draco under the Imperius Curse and - I have to go," she said, rushing to Andromeda's fireplace.

Andromeda frowned and hugged Teddy close, kissing his now light brown hair, wondering if there would ever be real peace after the war.

Narcissa appeared a moment later in a Hogsmeade shop, and she walked out of it and into the road without a glance to the folks looking at her strangely. She continued on until she reached the castle, where she found Filch.

"And what are you doing here?" the caretaker asked in his usual irritated sneer.

"I'm here to see my son, not that it's any of your business," she snapped, sidestepping him and strolling into the castle. He followed her for awhile, grumbling about students in class and other things she didn't hear, and she headed towards the classrooms. She considered it lucky that she soon ran into Hermione as she shuffled down the corridors, moving from one class to another, but she didn't miss the way her face was unusually pale or how her eyes were puffy.

"Mrs. Mal- Narcissa!" Hermione said in surprise when she saw the older woman walking towards her in the hall.

"Miss Granger," Narcissa said, taking Hermione's arm and leading her away from the curious students. "Draco's told me everything."

Hermione's face fell even further. She didn't know what to say, so she simply said, "I think he's in our dorm - I haven't seen him in class today."

"I came to see both of you," Narcissa said softly. "How are you holding up?"

"I - I don't even know," Hermione muttered. "I don't know what to think, and last night..."

"What about last night?"

Hermione cringed and found she positively couldn't give Draco's mother the details of his nightmares that she had been forced to watch as she slept. "Let's just say, right now I truly hate being blood bonded."

Narcissa sighed. "I can imagine. The thought of my husband doing this to our son - it is absolutely revolting. But I do hope you know that one thing that I did do right as a parent was teach Draco to be faithful, and I don't believe that under any circumstances he would do what he did of his own accord."

Hermione nodded and looked down. "I know he didn't want to. Because of the bond."

Narcissa nodded. "Well, I'll let you get back to class. But of there's anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to let me know."

Hermione smiled and thanked Narcissa, then gave her directions to her Head Girl dorm. Narcissa walked with purpose to the dorm, spoke the password to a slightly suspicious looking chicken lady, and when she stepped inside, she found Draco sprawled out on the couch in the common room with a bottle of firewhiskey in his hand. He was dressed in black pajama bottoms and a white t shirt, and his eyes went slightly wide when he saw his mother.

"Oh, Draco, for God's sake," Narcissa hissed, sweeping across the room and snatching the bottle from her son.

"Hey, that's mine," Draco protested, reaching to snatch it back, but Narcissa produced her wand and made the alcohol vanish with a swish.

"I do believe that you should know from your father's example that self-medicating is the entirely wrong way to cope with your problems."

Draco scowled and got to his feet, swaying a little when he did. "My father," he sneered. "Yeah, I've leaned a lot from him, alright."

"Listen to me," Narcissa said, placing her hands on her son's shoulders, "I won't let him get away with this. He shall be put back into Azkaban for this, I promise you."

"Yeah, a lot of good that will do," Draco scoffed. "He's already done his damage."

"If you love Granger the way you say you do, and she loves you like I know she does, you two will overcome this," Narcissa said. "It's a baby, not the end of the world."

"A baby who will remind her constantly of how I betrayed her," Draco argued. "Who would want to put themselves through that?"

Narcissa pursed her lips. "If you were under the Imperius Curse then you didn't betray her."

Draco dragged a hand over his eyes. "I should have fought it. I should have known. I can't believe I did this, I can't ..."

She knew by the pained expression on Draco's face that he was about to burst into tears, so she grabbed his shoulders again. "Draco, look at me. I know this is terrible, and it is unspeakably evil what Lucius has done to you, but it is done. It's done, Draco. And you need to deal with it. Not hide in a room and drink yourself to death."

Draco made a face that he'd been making since he was a child, a disgruntled, irritated look he would give when his mother would lecture him and would be absolutely right about whatever it was she was saying. "Darling," she said softly, "you're going to be a father."

She said this with a bit of awe, and like she was trying to point out that of all the things Lucius could have cursed him with, a baby was certainly not the worst he could have done.

"I don't know how to be a father," Draco muttered. "I haven't done one good thing my entire life, not one - what child would want me as a father?"

"That's not true, Draco," Narcissa replied. "And you're already a better man than your father ever was, because you know you've done wrong, and you've come so far already. Your father has never once in his life felt one bit of remorse for any of the terrible things he's done. And," she added after a short pause, "it took me much longer than you as well."

Draco shook his head. "I don't know how to do this."

"I'll help you," she assured him,

"I was happy," he said, "I was really happy for the first time, and -"

"And you will be again," she insisted. "I won't tell you that any of it will be easy, because it won't. It will take work to repair your relationship, and it will take work to raise a child. Especially when you aren't with the mother. But it can be done." She paused, then added, "Your father has destroyed enough in his days. Don't let him destroy your life."

"He already did once," Draco muttered.

"I know," Narcissa said quietly.

Draco looked around the room, wishing he could go back to drinking himself into a stupor and sulking, not wanting to rise to the challenge like his mother was suggesting. If he was being honest, it was not in his nature to suck it up and deal with things. He was used to whining, crying, and bullying his way out of unpleasant situations, and in the last few years, just trying to not be seen so as to stay alive. Now he was caught in between who he used to be and who he wanted to be, and there was a nagging, awful voice telling him that he could never be the latter. Who was he kidding? He was a coward, after all, and he'd probably screw up his kid just as bad as Lucius screwed him up.

Across the school, in an Ancient Runes class, Hermione was resting her head upon her hand, gripping the roots of her hair slightly, trying to ignore the storm of fear and self-loathing that she could feel spilling forth from Draco's mind into hers. He wasn't trying to project it all, but he couldn't contain it, and Hermione was nearly in tears as she stared at her textbook.

No, there was no way he could be lying about being cursed. After last night's dreams, and what she was experiencing now, it just wasn't a possibility.

When the bell rang, she left for lunch at the Great Hall, and when she rounded a corner she came face to face with Daphne and Astoria, who were walking in the opposite direction.

Astoria froze for a moment, as did Hermione, and they stared at one another. Daphne glared at Hermione with revulsion, but Astoria looked ashamed.

Hermione looked down at the younger girl's flat belly, and Daphne gave her sister's arm a tug. Astoria looked down and followed Daphne then, leaving Hermione alone to her thoughts, which now had turned to the wretched visions from last night - Astoria's face as Draco had made love to her, the way she had kissed him in the midst of it, and how she'd moaned his name into his ear. These were visions Hermione would carry with her for the rest of her life, and she tried not to cry as she finally put one foot in front of the other, and headed back to the Hall.

Draco wasn't at lunch, nor was Astoria, and Hermione was a little relieved at this. Harry and Ginny were out at the Quidditch pitch, but Hermione didn't sit alone for long.

"Hello, Hermione," Luna said in her sing-song voice, taking a seat next to her at the table.

"Hi, Luna," Hermione said weakly, stuffing a sandwich in her mouth.

"I had a very curious dream last night," Luna said as she filled her plate with food. "You had a son, and he looked just like Draco. But at the end of the dream, a horn came out of the baby's head and he transformed into a rather beautiful unicorn. You let me take some photos of him before I woke up."

Hermione nodded with wide eyes. "That sounds... like a lovely dream."

Luna shrugged. "It sounds odd, but unicorn transformations in dreams are very good omens. The person who becomes the unicorn is meant to be very special and pure of heart. I once had a similar dream about Harry back in our fifth year, but it was a bit different. The horn grew out of his backside."

Hermione nearly choked on her pumpkin juice. She covered her mouth so the liquid wouldn't splatter everywhere, and found herself laughing heartily at Luna's description. Luna smiled in response and Hermione enjoyed her brief but intense laugh, feeling just a little bit better when the giggles subsided. "Luna, you have no idea how much I needed that laugh."

"Yes, I've noticed you seemed rather down today. Is everything alright?"

Hermione looked down at her plate and shook her head. "No. Draco's father is - well, he's interfered with things in about the strangest and sickest way he could."

"You know, I've noticed a lot of wrackspurts following Draco around, and his head is filled with them. I'm not sure how he can think clearly."

"That wasn't wrackspurts," Hermione said quietly. "He's been under the Imperius Curse."

"The Imperius Curse?"

Hermione nodded before she felt the bench shift a little beside her. She looked to her left and found Draco, sitting next to her but with more space between them than usual, and he looked terrible. His eyes were swollen and a little bloodshot, his hair was askew (and not in his usual perfectly tousled way), and he looked very much like he didn't want to be there. Hermione turned back to Luna, who smiled and said, "I'll give you two some privacy." She then skipped off to another table and sat with a few of her Ravenclaw housemates.

"Is your mother still here?" Hermione asked.

He shook his head, grimacing at the sight of the food in front of him. "No, she went back to Aunt Andromeda's."

"Draco," Hermione said after drawing in a deep breath, "I know you didn't do what you did on purpose. If I had any doubts, your dreams last night confirmed your story."

Draco looked up at her in horror. "You didn't see my dreams, did you?"

She nodded. "I did."

Draco's fist hit the table weakly while his other hand covered his face. "I never, ever, meant to show you that..."

"I know," Hermione said quietly. "It's the blood bond. There's nothing we can do about it."

Draco picked up a piece of bread briefly before tossing it back down to its basket, and Hermione turned away when she saw the tortured, miserable look on his face. She wanted to reach out to him and comfort him, but at the same time, she didn't think she could bear to touch him without falling apart. Just sitting this closely to him was nearly more than she could stand, and with more than a bit of guilt, she rose and left the table as quickly as she could.

Draco watched her leave and felt his heart drop even lower, clenching his fists at his sides as he turned his eyes back to the table. Before he could get up and retreat to his dorm to spend the day wallowing in misery, Pansy had plopped down beside him with a highly concerned look on her face.

"Alright, Draco, what's going on? You look dreadful, and I haven't seen you in class all day," she said quietly.

"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled.

"Too bad," she retorted. "Out with it."

He glared at his friend. "I'm serious. I don't want to talk about it."

"And I'm serious," Pansy said. "I'll go ask Granger if you won't tell me."

"No, don't - leave her alone," Draco quickly said.

"Fine, I won't, so long as you spit it out."

Draco sighed and placed a hand over his face. "You can't tell anyone. Not even Blaise."

"Alright," she said quietly.

He turned his weary silver eyes on her and said in a voice just more than a whisper, "My father put me under the Imperius Curse for the last month. He had me - he -"

"He had you what?" she asked, eyes wide.

"Astoria Greengrass is pregnant. And it's mine."

Pansy sat back a little, staring at Draco with huge, bewildered eyes. "Is this some sort of joke?"

Draco glared at Pansy. "I'm going to pretend you didn't ask that."

"But -"

"My father did this," Draco hissed, "to ruin my relationship and to make sure he had his pureblood heir and not a half blood. And if you don't believe me, ask Hermione."

Pansy stared for a moment, realizing this was why Astoria had been missing class and why Daphne had refused to tell her what was wrong with her sister. She'd heard tales from Draco before of Malfoy men being ruthless over the years if their sons ever gave the slightest inkling of not producing a proper heir, but this seemed especially disturbing and evil on the part of Lucius. "Did - did he curse you to use Astoria specifically?"

"I don't know," Draco said. "I don't think so. She was the first pureblood I saw."

"I don't even know what to say," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

He snorted. "Not as sorry as I am."

* * *

Meanwhile, Lucius sat in his study, clutching his usual tumbler of firewhiskey, going over things in his head. He hadn't known until just a few minutes ago that he had a rather loose end that needed tying up, if he was to stay out of Azkaban. Apparently, little Libby the house-elf had gone missing, and that really could only mean one thing. Elves didn't run away or get stolen. It must have been Draco, Lucius deduced, when he'd stopped by the day before to throw his little fit. Libby had always been quite fond of his son, and her presence wouldn't be particularly missed at the Manor, but the problem was that she knew of Lucius' involvement in Draco's current predicament. This left Lucius little choice in the matter of what to do about this problem.

"Bobbins!"

The always haggard-looking elf appeared. "Yes, Master Malfoy?"

"I have another job for you."

* * *

After enduring a long conversation with Pansy that Draco never wanted to have, she had convinced him to go find Libby in the kitchens, to make sure she was willing to testify for him if it should come to that. He knew that Libby could be the key to ensuring that his father would be held accountable for his actions, assuming Draco decided to actually pursue the matter and humiliate himself. The thought made him clench his teeth in anger, but not as badly as the thought of Lucius getting away with what he'd done.

But once he had nearly reached the kitchens, he found McGonagall and a few other staff members standing just outside the kitchens, talking in low voices amongst themselves.

"... Only been freed for a day!"

"Yes, but who would do this to her?"

Fresh anxiety twisted itself in Draco's gut. He then watched in horror as four elves carried out a small mat from the kitchens, his eyes falling upon a small lump under a thin sheet that lay upon the mat, and he didn't need to ask anyone what the dead elf's name was to know that it was Libby.

"There was no sign of a struggle, nor any physical damage. This was the work of the Killing Curse," he heard another voice say.

"And who did the elf serve before she was freed?" McGonagall asked.

"The Malfoy family, Headmistress."

Feeling sick to his stomach, Draco turned on his heel and left before anyone could spot him and question him. His only evidence besides his own memories, and the elf who had loved him since he was a child, was gone, and Draco had no doubt as to who the culprit was.


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N:** **thank you everyone who reviewed/alerted/favorited! Shorter chapter here - next one should be longer. This is the last chapter I had written in advance, so I'd guess updates will be every 3-7 days from now on. I'm shooting for 3 :) Lyrics are from With Or Without You by U2. **

_See the stone set in your eyes_

_See the thorn twist in your side._

_I wait for you_

_Sleight of hand and twist of fate_

_On a bed of nails she makes me wait_

_And I wait without you _

_With or without you_

_I can't live with or without you_

Hermione felt badly for leaving Draco at lunch when he'd been so clearly distressed, but she simply couldn't stand to look at him. The confliction she felt was overwhelming, and at the moment, it was easiest just to put some space between them and try to ignore their mental connection, as nearly impossible as that was.

She spent the rest of the day avoiding him, doing her homework in Gryffindor Tower and feeling a little better being surrounded by her friends. Harry and Ginny did not insist on talking about it, which she was extremely grateful for, and by the time ten o'clock rolled around, which was when Hermione usually went to bed, she opted to spend a few minutes with Ginny in her dorm before she had to face Draco.

The other girls were already asleep, and Hermione perched on the side of Ginny's bed as the younger witch cast a silencing charm around the bed. "So how are you doing?" Ginny asked, finally addressing the elephant in the room.

Hermione sighed deeply and said, "I honestly don't know. I go from one extreme to the other whenever I think about it. I know he didn't do it of his own accord but it's still... just unthinkable."

Ginny nodded. "I didn't see him once all day."

Hermione shook her head. "I think he hid in my dorm the whole day. Except for lunch. I still feel badly about leaving him."

"You shouldn't. You have every right to put some distance between the two of you."

"But he is so angry, and so scared," Hermione said. "My scar has been hurting a little bit today and I think it's because he's so angry."

Ginny furrowed her brows at this. "Blimey - sounds like Harry's scar."

"I know," Hermione frowned, rubbing her left forearm. After a moment she crawled into the bed fully, lying next to Ginny with a great yawn of exhaustion. "I'm getting better at ignoring his mind, but it's hard when he's screaming inside of it all day."

Ginny grimaced a little bit. "So you believe him, one hundred percent?"

Hermione paused, not wanting to go into detail about last night's wretched dreams or any other reasons why she believed him. "Yeah. I think I do."

Yesterday, Ginny had been quite sure Malfoy was merely a womanizing liar, but she knew Hermione was not an idiot. On top of that, their blood bond was a magic she knew nothing of, and she couldn't find a way to argue with Hermione. "Well, if that's the case, then you need to try to figure all of this out with him."

Hermione nodded, but her eyes grew sad. "I know. But I can't imagine watching... _her_ be a constant presence in his life. He'll have a child to raise, and what will I be? What am I supposed to do with all of this?"

"I don't know," Ginny answered honestly. "If this happened to Harry and I, I don't know how I'd feel."

"But you would stay with him?" Hermione asked.

"Of course I would," Ginny answered without hesitation. "And I don't think you're going to leave the ferret, either. But I do think some space is a good idea, for now."

"Yeah," Hermione said, her eyelids growing heavy quickly. Last night's dreadful sleep had finally caught up to her, and before she knew it, she'd closed her eyes.

"You might want to head back to your dorm before you fall asleep, what with the bond and all," Ginny suggested, causing Hermione's eyes to flutter open.

Hermione groaned. "I'll go in a few hours. He's still awake and I don't want to see him."

"Fine," Ginny sighed, settling under the covers. "G'night, Hermione."

"G'night," Hermione said as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, Draco was in his bed, still fuming over Libby, and draining another bottle of firewhiskey after his mother took the first one he'd managed to get his hands on earlier that day. It did little to calm his raging mind, but it did manage to make him feel exceptionally drowsy after awhile. He missed Hermione desperately, and he felt desolate laying in bed alone. This was only the second night in a month that they'd slept apart from one another, and he hadn't realized until now how fragmented he felt without her.

He looked down at the bottle in his hands and tightened his grip on it, unwelcome memories of watching his father drink himself into a stupor every morning after Voldemort broke him out of Azkaban the year prior flashing in his mind. He'd felt so incredibly angry back then, as he and his mother did their best just to survive and get through the day while Lucius selfishly drowned in his woes, lacking any remorse for the danger that his family was in due to his foolish choices. Draco had lived every day in terror after his failure to kill Dumbledore sixth year, watching Voldemort come and go from his home as he pleased, seeing Muggles be slaughtered on his drawing room floor, and of course suffering injuries himself as his family continued to fail the Dark Lord. And yet all Lucius did through all of that was drink, and blame others for his failures. Once, in a drunken rage, he'd even blamed Draco, saying that if only he'd had the stomach to kill the old man that night on the Astronomy Tower, then they would be living like royalty instead of like lowly slaves. Narcissa had slapped Lucius across his sunken face for that.

Now he felt like an idiot. Through his haze, he hurled the empty bottle across the room and watched it hit the wall, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces on the floor. Then he sunk back down into his bed and felt tears begin to sting his eyes, which he fought out of instinct until he realized he was alone, nobody could see him, and that he needed to cry. He fell asleep after soaking his pillow with his tears, feeling extremely foolish but relieved to have found some emotional release, however pointless it may have been.

* * *

At four in the morning, Hermione's eyes flew open and a shrill scream erupted from her lips.

Her head felt like it was exploding from the inside out, like every blood vessel was bursting all at once and spraying lava all over her brain, and she clutched her head desperately as Ginny (and the rest of the room) awoke with a great start. She couldn't breathe and couldn't think, and Ginny grabbed her shoulders with wide eyes.

"Hermione? Hermione! What's - oh, bloody hell," Ginny said, realizing what was happening. She cast a silencing charm on Hermione and pulled her out of bed, dragging her into the common room and out of the portrait hole, taking her to Draco as quickly as she could.

Meanwhile, Draco had awoken much the same way, and was curled into the fetal position in his bed, feeling as though a thousand Cruciatus Curses were being cast on him at once. The pain immobilized him, and he had no idea how long he'd been laying there writhing in torment when his door burst open and the pain ceased at once.

Clutching his chest and breathing almost painfully hard, he wrenched open his eyes and squinted at the light flowing in from the open door and found Hermione doing the same thing, supported by a concerned-looking Ginny.

"Are you alright?" Ginny asked Hermione, whose eyes had locked with Draco's. The older witch nodded, but continued to breathe as if she'd just run a marathon.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked.

Hermione nodded again. "I'm sorry, Ginny - thank you for bringing me here."

Ginny nodded and glanced briefly at Draco before saying, "Alright. I'll leave you two to talk, I guess. You know where to find me if you need me."

Hermione nodded again, and a moment later, she and Draco were alone. They stared at one another in silence, still adjusting to not being in excruciating pain, and Hermione was the first to finally speak. "I fell asleep with Ginny - I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -"

She stopped talking when Draco held up a hand, averting his eyes as his face suddenly paled. Then he threw his head over the edge of the bed and vomited all over the floor, and Hermione raised a hand to her mouth as she watched. When he stopped heaving long enough to catch his breath, she moved forward and placed a hand on his back. "Are you ill?"

"Firewhiskey," he managed to squeak out before the urge to vomit came back full force, but this time he scrambled to his feet and ran to the loo. Hermione frowned and lit her wand before she scourgified the floor, and it was then that she found the remains of the shattered whiskey bottle, littering the floor between the wall and Draco's bed. She cleaned up the glass with another swipe of her wand, and sat down sadly on the edge of the bed to wait for Draco to return.

He came back a few moments later, sweaty and even paler, and collapsed into bed limply. She scooted up the bed to properly look at him. "From what I've managed to put together, it seems to me that you drank an entire bottle of Firewhiskey and then got mad and smashed it. Which explains the vomiting."

"If you're going to lecture me, I'm not interested," he said weakly.

"Well, I hope you've learned your lesson now. I've definitely learned mine regarding not messing with the proximity rule of our blood bond."

Draco groaned. "Gryffindor Tower isn't even that far from here. I don't understand why that happened as if we were miles apart."

Hermione shook her head, not entirely understanding either. Perhaps after being so close to one another practically twenty four hours a day, the bond was shocked at any distance put between them for longer than a few hours.

She felt exhausted from the bout of pain, and her head was starting to throb a little, though it was nothing compared to the brain-splitting terror of earlier. She lay down on her back next to Draco, and his eyes fluttered open when he felt the bed shift under her weight. They looked at one another for a long moment, and Draco thought it had the potential of becoming a tender moment, but he chose to blurt out something terrible instead. "Libby's dead."

Hermione's eyes widened. "What do you mean Libby's dead?"

"I saw them take her out of the kitchens today on a mat. Heard them say it was a Killing Curse. My father probably sent Bobbins to do it," Draco said blankly.

Hermione's heart swelled with sadness for the little elf. She'd only met Libby twice, but just from those two encounters she could tell that Libby was an exceptionally sweet elf, and was highly devoted to Draco. She'd only been free a mere day, Hermione thought sadly, and she never even learned the truth about her brother Dobby's fate before she died. She didn't doubt Draco's assumption that his father was behind her death. Libby was the only one who could have verified his use of an Unforgiveable Curse against his own son, except for Bobbins, but he was under Lucius' control. "We can't let him get away with this."

"I don't know how I'm supposed to prove anything," Draco said. "It's just my word -"

"And your memories," Hermione cut in. "We can go to the Auror office and show them your memories, and -"

Draco visibly cringed, and Hermione's words faltered. She turned her eyes to the ceiling. "I didn't even hear a whisper about Libby today."

"I'm sure McGonagall wants to keep it quiet. Another bloody murder at Hogwarts," Draco half-growled.

"You need to talk to her," Hermione said. "I'm sure she'll want to talk to you soon anyway. And your father - he must not get away with this any longer -"

"Nobody's going to believe me," Draco said in a small voice. "Nobody ever does."

"I believe you," Hermione replied, turning her eyes back to Draco.

Draco looked her deep in her eyes, and a moment passed where neither spoke. In the silence, Hermione felt a hand tentatively brush hers, and she recoiled from his touch without thinking. Hurt flashed across Draco's face, and she suddenly felt very guilty and very uncomfortable being in his bed. She moved to sit up but Draco's hand reached out once more and clasped her own.

"Don't go."

She looked at him with sad eyes, and couldn't help the image of Astoria writhing underneath him from bursting forth in her mind. He flinched, and she knew that he had seen it, too. She cursed their blood bond.

"Don't you believe me?" Draco asked in a feeble voice.

She nodded, but tears stung the back of her eyes. "I do, but..."

"But you can't stand me to touch you."

She didn't know what to say. "I just... I think maybe... we should... take a break, while all of this gets settled."

She'd spoken softly, and barely above a whisper, but Draco looked as of she'd just struck him hard across his face.

"I'm sorry, it's just -"

"Don't." His tone was suddenly harsh and unyielding.

"Draco -"

"I said don't. Get out."

Hermione's eyes were swimming with tears now, but Draco's were hard and a darker gray than their usual pale silver, and were fixed angrily on the ceiling. She slipped off the bed and turned back to him once her feet were planted on the floor. "Please, just -"

"Get out!" Draco shouted, and Hermione took a step back. He turned his angry eyes back on her and she suddenly felt fearful, though not for her own well being. Suddenly she was reminded of the event that started their entire relationship, of their altercation in the Room of Requirement in their sixth year, when she'd caught a glimpse of his Dark Mark and he'd tried to take her memories but failed miserably. Right now he had the same angry, unfeeling look in his eye that he did then, but she felt the hurt and the pain that his face was masking, flowing from him in waves that he couldn't control. A part of her screamed to take back what she said, to just go to him and take his pain away, but then he grabbed his wand from the nightstand by his head and she walked away quickly towards the door. As soon as both of her feet were out of his room, he jerked his wand and the door slammed shut, nearly flying off its hinges at the force. Hermione jumped at the sound, then stopped trying to stifle her tears. She hurried to her room, torn between regret and stubbornness, knowing she would have been unhappy whether she'd broken it off or if she hadn't. The only thing she could see that might help is time, because right now, she knew that she couldn't live with or without Draco. It was a terrible feeling, made so much worse because she felt every ounce of pain she'd just caused Draco to feel.

Draco didn't sleep at all the rest of the night, instead lying awake and simmering in anger and hurt, unable to stomach the fact that his father's plan to tear himself and Hermione apart was apparently working.


	23. Chapter 22

The next morning, Draco sat blankly in McGonagall's office, eyes bleary and bloodshot and body exhausted and rigid, as he waited for the Headmistress to arrive. He wanted to hex the twinkle right out of portrait-Dumbledore's eyes, since every time he looked up, the dead headmaster was staring kindly at him as if he hadn't once attempted to assassinate the old man. It was unnerving, and just plain odd, since if Draco was the one peering out of a portrait at himself, he would be sneering and shooting daggers from his painted eyes, not regarding him as if he were a dear old friend. At least Snape's portrait had the decency to pretend to be snoozing.

Finally he heard the door behind him creak open, and McGonagall's robes swept along the floor as she entered. "Good morning, Mr. Malfoy."

He didn't respond, barely looking up when she sat down behind her desk. Suddenly a silver tin was shoved under his nose. "Have a biscuit."

The thought of eating made his stomach twist, but he grabbed a biscuit from the tin anyway. "I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you here. Yesterday the house elf you freed -"

"Libby's dead, I know," Draco said flatly, studying the biscuit in his hand. If he'd looked up, he would have seen McGonagall's eyes widen just a bit.

"Can you think of anyone who would want her dead?" she asked softly.

The words came out laced in bitterness. "It was my father."

"Your father?" she repeated. "What makes you so sure?"

"It doesn't matter," he muttered. "Nobody can prove it."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall replied. "So please, elaborate."

He looked up at the headmistress for the first time. "He killed her because she knew things about him, and things he's done since he's been released. And because she wasn't forced to follow his orders anymore, she became a liability." Draco then felt a horrible feeling come over him. Until now, he hadn't thought of the fact that if he hadn't freed Libby, she would still be alive. She'd still be abused and mistreated, but at least she would be alive.

"But surely you realize that your father couldn't have just walked into the Hogwarts kitchens and cursed her," McGonagall said.

"He's been using one of his elves to do his dirty work," Draco said darkly.

"Another elf?" McGonagall asked. Draco nodded, and she added, "What do you mean by 'dirty work'?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Draco said, "but suffice it to say, my father has already used a few Unforgiveables upon his release."

"I'm afraid you must elaborate, Mr. Malfoy," she said. "These are very serious accusations."

"Obviously," Draco sneered, "but it doesn't matter! The only proof died last night."

She ignored this. "Which Unforgivable Curses has he used? And on whom?"

"It doesn't matter," Draco repeated.

"Was it you?"

Draco scowled and made a motion to get up, but a flick of McGonagall's wand forced him back into his seat. He flashed his angry eyes upon the headmistress, and she pursed her thin lips into a line. "Mr. Malfoy -"

"He used the Imperius Curse, all right?" Draco suddenly blurted. "It's none of your business."

"Oh, I very much disagree! I'd say it's very much my business when a student of mine is being cursed and elves are killed in Hogwarts kitchens!"

"And what can you do about it?" Draco challenged. "He's always found a way to slither out of Azkaban and get away with every terrible thing he's ever done-"

"Your memories, Mr. Malfoy - those will make all the difference," McGonagall said gently. "If you will give me your memories of Libby and of being cursed, I will immediately contact the head of the Auror office and -"

This time Draco managed to stand up without magical interference, and he ignored McGonagall as she called after him while he stomped out of her office. Somewhere inside of him, he knew he should do as she suggested, and hand over his memories, but the though of doing so still made his skin crawl and anger spike. He could see it all now - he would be ridiculed, his most private and embarrassing mistakes revealed, and Lucius would merely scoff as his legal counsel kept him out of Azkaban. Who would believe such a bizarre, far fetched story? And anyway, memories were altered and fabricated all the time. That's probably what everyone would assume Draco did, for the sake of saving his relationship.

He marched in the direction of Hermione's dorm, having no intention of going to class today, or being seen by anyone at all. He found Astoria a few feet away from the chicken hag's portrait, apparently waiting to speak to him, but he merely snapped, "I don't want to talk to you," as he slammed the portrait closed behind him. He didn't care that her eyes welled up with tears as she ran away, and he tried not to care that he could feel Hermione at the edge of his mind, hurting and wrestling with her emotions as she tried to focus in class a few corridors away.

He couldn't bear the thought of drinking again. The brief numb that it allowed wasn't worth the self-loathing that washed over him when the memories of Lucius doing the same reared their ugly heads. So instead, he decided to sit and stew in his anger and pain in his room, wishing his father hadn't altered the wards at Malfoy Manor so that he could no longer enter, because all he wanted to do was find his father and beat him to a pulp.

* * *

"Hermione," Harry said gently. "Stop torturing yourself."

Hermione drew in a sharp breath and looked down into her plate before turning to Harry. She'd just been staring at Astoria across the Hall for longer than she'd intended to, which was for any length of time at all, and she instantly began silently berating herself for being such an apparent glutton for punishment. She sighed and picked at her food with her fork.

"I sort of... broke up with Draco last night," she said quietly, so only Harry and Ginny could hear. Ginny leaned past Harry to look at Hermione, but neither of them quite knew what to say for a moment.

"Sorry. How did Malfoy take it?" Harry finally asked.

"Not well," Hermione said, shaking her head. "He'a angrier than ever."

"Don't let him get to you," Ginny said. "You need to do what's best for you. And only you know what that is right now."

"I'm not sure if I do," Hermione admitted. "I'm not sure of anything right now."

"Then," Harry said, "best to get some distance until you are."

Hermione shrugged. "I suppose."

Suddenly, Hermione clutched her left arm and felt as if her scar was about to burst open; pain seared across the jagged, faded word etched in her skin and anger that wasn't hers exploded inside of her mind. Then there was a bang and everyone in the Hall jumped nearly a foot into the air. It seemed to have come from the corridor to the right of the Great Hall, and McGonagall quickly rose from her seat at the staff table and hurried towards the sound, followed by Slughorn and a few other teachers. Harry got up too, more out of habit of rushing towards the sound of trouble than anything, and Hermione and Ginny followed him, Hermione gripping her arm tightly still.

Voices began shouting and there was another bang as she entered the corridor, and her breath hitched at what she saw. At the the top of the staircase was Draco and Seamus, apparently in the midst of a particularly nasty looking fistfight, and the teachers immediately began howling at the two boys to cease, but Draco swung a fist and hit Seamus squarely in the nose, and Seamus tried to retaliate but missed, neither of them looking as if they planned to stop pummeling each other any time soon.

"Draco!" Hermione half-screeched, and a few things happened at the same time: Draco froze and looked down at her, McGonagall cast a Body Bind Hex towards the boys, and then Seamus' fist connected with Draco's jaw, sending him off balance and causing him to tumble down the long staircase.

Seamus got hit with both of McGonagall's hexes and instantly became rigid and hit the floor, but nobody was looking at him - all eyes were fixed on Draco as he flopped down the stairs like a ragdoll until McGonagall quickly pointed her wand at him and he levitated safely into the air. Hermione's hands were over her mouth, and the sight of Draco's bloody face made her stomach twist when McGonagall lowered him gently to the base of the staircase. He quickly dropped on his knees as soon as she released him, and Slughorn bustled up the stairs to retrieve Seamus.

"What in Merlin's name is this about?" the headmistress demanded, her tone as severe as her face.

Draco said nothing. Instead he glared at Hermione through one swollen eye and one black eye as he struggled to breathe and clutched his side, and the pain in Hermione's scar reached its pinnacle.

Slughorn wobbled down the stairs with a freshly unhexed Seamus in tow, and when he reached the bottom of the stairs, he grabbed Draco by the back of his shirt as well.

"In my office, now," McGonagall said slightly shrilly, and when Slughorn dragged the boys past Hermione, Draco shot Hermione one last scathing look, as if it was all her fault.

"What d'you suppose happened?" Harry ventured to Hermione as the corridor began to empty.

She shook her head, rubbing her arm as the pain finally faded to a bearable hum. Then Ginny spoke. "One of them probably said something to finally make the other one snap. Seamus has been wanting to deck Malfoy ever since the incident with Dean in Hogsmeade."

Hermione frowned. The pain in her arm may have mostly subsided, but Draco's anger was still pulsing in her brain.

* * *

After refusing to say a word to McGonagall about what started the fight, Draco sat in the hospital wing after getting patched up and cleaned up by Madam Pomfrey, wishing he could go find somebody else to fight. It felt good to slam his fist into Seamus' obnoxious face and release some of the rage that was boiling inside.

It had started when Draco passed Seamus in the corridor, being forced to go to lunch by his naggingly inconvenient hunger, and heard Seamus mutter something that sounded like "filthy Death Eater" under his breath. Draco had actually smiled as he stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to face Seamus. They'd stared at each other for a moment before Draco pushed him, and in a matter of seconds, they shot hexes and were throwing punches.

In a strange way, the pain felt good. Seamus was a poor enough fighter that Draco could have easily avoided being hit by him entirely, but he'd chosen to let him a few times. Except for the last time - that punch had connected due to Draco's split second distraction in the form of Hermione's voice. And he definitely hadn't planned on falling down the stairs - he would feel the effects of that for awhile to come - but the odd thrill of releasing his anger on someone, and the relief of feeling something besides the dull, pulsating ache in his heart that he'd felt from the second Lucius' curse was lifted, was weirdly exhilarating. Of course, it hadn't lasted long, and now he was back to the emotional state he'd been trying so desperately to escape.

Vaguely, he wondered how many fights he could get in before he was expelled. Speaking of, how many days of classes could he miss before being expelled? Did he even care if he was expelled?

Before he could decide on an answer to this, a sound from the doorway caught his attention. He looked up, hoping to see Hermione as well as hoping not to see her, and found Astoria instead. He was equally annoyed and relieved, but mostly confused as to why she was there.

"What do you want?" he snapped as she walked inside, looking uncertain.

"Just wanted to make sure you weren't dead," she said, matching his irritable tone.

"Why should you care?" he spat.

She stopped in front of the bed he was perched on and crossed her arms. "I wouldn't if you weren't my child's father."

Draco snorted. "At least you're honest."

"I take it Granger's dumped you," Astoria ventured, feeling the usual sense of a desire to hurt Draco ever since the lifting of his curse.

Draco's eyes flashed as he turned them on her. "That's none of your business."

"So yes," she said. "Pity."

Draco's anger was about to spike again, so he said nothing and imagined punching somebody again as one of his fists tightened. "I'd reckon you're better off, though," Astoria continued. "Nobody in our House has been able to understand why you decided to take up with a mud-"

Draco shot to his feet and the terrifying glint in his eye stopped her short of completing the slur. "Don't say a word about her."

Astoria backed away, turning her eyes to her feet as Draco stormed out of the hospital wing. She cursed at herself as she left a few moments later, knowing that she'd just managed to make things even worse between herself and Draco.

* * *

At dinner, Hermione watched nervously as Draco glared at many faces from his table in the Great Hall. Today, he chose to sit with Pansy and Blaise instead of with her for the first time since term began. First he and Seamus stared at one another with mutual loathing (as well as shared black eyes), and then he spent a few moments burning a hole through the back of Astoria's head before glancing at Hermione. She looked away quickly, not wanting to see the hurt lurking behind his eyes.

It was a Friday night, and Hermione was toying with the idea of spending the weekend at her parents' house before we realized she couldn't do that without Draco going with her, to avoid another round of horrifying physical pain like that of last night. She tried to imagine what life would be like if they stayed apart but lived together out of necessity, and it was such an unpleasant thought she barely heard Ginny's voice saying, "Is that Ron?"

Hermione turned her head towards the Hall's entrance, and sure enough, there was Ron, beaming and looking utterly happy as Ginny and Harry quickly scrambled away from the table to run at him and greet him with huge hugs. Neville, Luna and Seamus did the same, leaving Hermione as the last to get up. When she did, she glanced at Draco once more, and was unsurprised to find an angry scowl on his face.

Soon she found herself enveloped in a tight but brief hug from Ron, and when he pulled away she asked breathlessly, "This is such a surprise - what are you doing here?"

"I got the weekend off of training," Ron smiled. "I'm gonna spend tonight and tomorrow here and go home Sunday before I have to be back in London. How are you?"

"Oh, good," Hermione lied in a slightly too-high pitched voice.

"I'm surprised you don't have a ferret hanging on you," Ron said, enhancing Hermione's discomfort.

Harry glanced at Hermione and took Ron'a arm as he said, "Er, why don't you come have some dinner."

"I _am_ pretty hungry," Ron grinned, and Hermione sighed, momentarily saved of the dreadful prospect of telling Ron about the Draco-Astoria debacle.

But even Ron wasn't so thick as to not realize something was wrong. Between the dark circles under Hermione's eyes and the fact that Draco was brooding at a different table across the hall with several fellow Slytherins, he took a break from chatting about his Auror training and turned to Hermione.

"What's going on with you and Malfoy?"

Hermione swallowed a mouthful of water and muttered, "We're just taking a break is all."

"A break?" he repeated. "Why? What did he do? And why does he have a black eye?"

"Ron," she said weakly, "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Hermione -"

"Ron!" Ginny hissed. "Leave it. She doesn't want to talk about it."

Ron scowled and looked over at Draco, who returned his scathing look before getting up and storming out of the Hall. Hermione sighed and took another drink from her goblet, noting how Ron's timing always seemed to be utterly rotten.

* * *

Draco seethed as he wandered aimlessly out of the Great Hall, his feet taking him out of the castle's front doors for no real reason. He sucked in a lungful of cool autumn air and tried to purge from his mind the image of Hermione throwing herself into the Weasel's arms, but it was no use. Of course the Weasel would appear now, it was just impeccable timing on his part. As if there wasn't enough to annoy and enrage Draco at the moment.

Because it was only fitting that this should happen next, Draco soon heard footsteps behind him and turned to find the Golden Trio plus a Weaselette marching out of the castle, all of them chatting animatedly except for Hermione, who paled at the sight of Draco.

He couldn't help himself. "Get yourself kicked out of the Auror program already, have you, Weasel?"

Ron's face hardened and Hermione tensed, knowing what was probably going to happen next. "I'm on a break, you prat."

"Pity," Draco sneered. "And here I was hoping the Ministry had come to its senses."

"What's your problem?" Ron spat, and Harry tried in vain to keep him from advancing towards Draco. Hermione turned pleading eyes to Draco, also in vain. "Just because Hermione dumped you -"

"Ron -" Hermione said with wide eyes, but nobody heard her because Draco's fist pounded into Ron's face at that very moment. Ron staggered back before ramming himself into Draco, and they fell to the ground in a blur of flaming red and pale blonde hair.

Harry's eyes rolled just slightly as he jumped into the fight and dragged Ron away, and Hermione went to Draco and dropped down to her knees beside him, reaching out to hold him back as he tried to swing again at Ron while Harry was pulling him away.

"Draco - Draco, _stop_," she urged.

Draco's eyes snapped to her, and she could have sworn that they instantly became moist when they met hers. She had her hands wrapped around one of his, and his nose was bleeding for the second time that day, but she felt his rage still at her touch.

"Bloody psycho!" Ron bellowed, but Harry and Ginny were dragging him back into the castle and silence quickly fell upon Draco and Hermione.

She didn't let go of his hand until his eyes hardened suddenly and he yanked it away. "Better go with your little friends. Don't want to miss the Weasel's visit."

"Oh, Draco, would you just stop?" she asked in exasperation. "You can't walk around the school punching whoever you fancy to whenever you like -"

"What do you care?" he snapped. "It's not your problem what I do, so why are you even here?"

"Because I love you!" she suddenly blurted. "I love you, and all I said was that we should have a break! Not that I was done with you forever!"

He seemed torn between scoffing and crying. "If you love me, then stick by me!"

"I... I want to, but -"

"Exactly," Draco muttered, using his sleeve to wipe the blood from his face. "You can't. So either choose to stay with me or choose not to. Don't pretend that we can be anything in between."

Hermione stared at him, unable to form any words with her tongue, and she gasped in surprise when he suddenly pressed his lips to hers. It was a bruising, brutal kiss, and inside of it lay all of the conflict and the pain between them as well as the love and desire, though this time, his touch didn't bring forth images of Astoria in Hermione's mind. She was the furthest thing from both of their minds.

Draco's aching and injured hands moved through her hair while hers touched his cheeks almost timidly, and when the kiss ended, it was Draco who pulled away. He looked into her confused brown eyes and said, "I love you too. And I need you right now."

Hermione recognized the look in his eyes, the slight squinting and grimace that told her it wasn't easy for him to say these things.

"... I know," she finally said.

"So choose," Draco said before getting to his feet. Hermione watched him walk away, knowing he was right, and knowing that she could probably not stay away from him for long anyway.

Still, there was a long road in front of her. She stood up out of the grass and re-entered the castle, noticing that for the first time that day, her scar wasn't hurting.

* * *

By nine o'clock that night, Hermione was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, trying to read a book, and was about to hex Ron into next year.

"Why won't you just tell me?" Ron whined.

She sighed and glanced at Ginny across the room, then said, "Because I don't want to."

"Come on, Hermione, we're best friends."

"Yes, but I know you, and I know that I won't hear the end of it if I tell you why Draco and I are taking a break."

Ginny gave Hermione a look that she knew meant he's going to find out one way or another eventually. "So it must be bad then," Ron said darkly.

Hermione sighed. "Of course it's bad. People don't break up because of good things."

"You know what I mean!"

Hermione pursed her lips and turned to Ron on the couch they were sharing. "You have to promise you won't go do something stupid if I tell you, like go beat him up again, or -"

"He hit me first!"

"Just promise me, okay?" Hermione said impatiently.

"Fine, but -"

"His father _Imperio'd_ him to get a pureblood girl pregnant with a Malfoy heir. And he did. Happy?"

Ron's eyes were as blank and befuddled as she'd anticipated they would be. "Are you joking?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ginny, please hex him if he asks me that again."

"But - who did he - you know -"

"Astoria Greengrass," Hermione answered calmly.

"Really? Not Pansy Parkinson?"

Hermione stared at Ron. "Really. The curse was not specific as to who, as long as it was someone pureblood. And Pansy wouldn't have let him. I _wish_ he had tried to go after her. Things wouldn't have been the way they are now."

Ron's eyes were bulging from his sockets. "But how can you be so calm about this? How long was this going on? I'll kill him!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No, you won't. And it went on for a month, not that it matters. He was under the Imperius Curse. He was horrified when he realized what he'd done."

"Why didn't he fight the curse? Harry has! We all did, or at least learned how to in fourth year!"

"Because, Ron, there was an elf following him around recasting the curse whenever he started to fight it," she said, as if bored. "Look, you wanted to know, and I told you. So drop it."

"Drop it?" Ron repeated in disbelief. "Are you serious? How am I supposed to drop it?"

"Generally," Harry interjected as he sat down in a chair opposite them, "you stop talking and let the conversation move on."

"But - but what about Lucius Malfoy? If he really did this, why isn't he in Azkaban? I wouldn't be surprised if Draco made the whole thing up, bloody ferret that he is -"

"He didn't make it up," Hermione said in a severe tone. "You forget that I can sort of read his mind at all times now. I think I'd know, don't you?"

"So why isn't his dad in Azkaban?"

"It's complicated, Ron, but with any luck, he will be there soon," Hermione said. "Now if you don't mind, I'm quite done talking about it."

Ron opened his mouth to protest, but stern looks from Harry and Ginny forced him quiet.

A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed before Ron piped up again. "Astoria Greengrass?"

Hermione immediately slammed her book shut and stood up, heading for the portrait hole. "I'm going to bed."

She heard Ron's protests but she ignored him and didn't think twice about the portrait closing behind her. She drew in a breath and headed for her dorm, idly hoping she could get some decent sleep tonight. Tomorrow she and Neville had to spend the morning with their prefects, some of whom were severely slacking on their duties, and hammer out a new schedule for them, all of which would probably take the whole morning. She barely heard herself mutter the password to her dorm and stepped inside, jolted back into reality by the sight of Draco fast asleep on the couch in their common room.

She crept to the couch and knelt beside it, intending to gently wake Draco up so that he could move to his bed, but she decided to let him be. He seemed peaceful, deceptively so, and she couldn't help but brush back the wayward blonde hairs from his forehead as she watched him.

She thought for a moment about peeking inside of his head, but quickly decided against it. She knew that whatever he was dreaming, it couldn't be as peaceful as his face suggested, and she didn't want to see anything she wasn't forced to see by their bond and his tendency to unknowingly project his thoughts. So she withdrew her hand slowly, and rose to her feet as soundlessly as possible before retreating to her room. The sound of her door closing awoke Draco, and he sat up groggily and looked to her door in disappointment, having no idea of the tender moment he'd just slept through.


End file.
